


Sweet Rey

by bunilicious



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Ben Solo in a kilt, Ben is a Highland Warrior, Ben is a thicc boi, Blow Jobs, Devoted Reylo, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Hair Braiding, I have no shame, Loss of Virginity, Marriage of Convenience, Penis Size, Rags to Riches, Rey is thirsty, Reylo - Freeform, Scotland, Size Kink, Smut, Sporrans, Tartan, Thirsty Rey, Virgin Rey (Star Wars), Voyeurism, baths, caber tossing, domestic reylo, imagery hoe, love tokens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2019-11-07 03:56:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17953136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunilicious/pseuds/bunilicious
Summary: “What is your name, sweet lass?” he had asked, his brown gaze engrossed by her hazel orbs and her long dark eyelashes. He had vaguely heard of the rewards promised to the man who could slay the beast and live to tell the tale… but had never given much thought to claim them.“Rey,” she replied, her voice a whisper in the daylight. A simple name, but one that held the promise of comfort and good fortune.“And tell me, sweet Rey, have you been promised to anyone?” he inquired, admiring how her brown tresses billowed in the wind.“No.” A faint blush spread across her cheeks. “No, I haven’t.”-------A REYLO HISTORICAL AU





	1. A Hero Rises

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm back with another Historical AU, this one set in the Scottish Highlands. Get ready for some warrior Ben Solo action! I hope you all enjoy the fic, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
> 
> Thank you to my beta, LoveofEscapism - for helping me get this chapter done in time for my birthday! And thank you to AlbaStarGazer for the cheers and the tartan lol.

\--

 

The warrior unsheathed his sword as he entered the cave, pausing just briefly to adjust to the looming darkness. He took a deep breath before proceeding, aware at the back of his mind that these brief moments could very well be his last.

 

Nevertheless, he did not dwell on such frightening thoughts for long; the purpose of his mission far too important to give weight to the fears nestling within – doubts which would have consumed a lesser warrior and dissuaded him from the task at hand. Not him.

 

Gripping his sword handle, the warrior took his first step into the unknown.

 

His steps echoed through the meandering cavern, small noises that sliced through the silence like the sharpest of blades. The village elders had told him that it would be wise to bring a torch, lest he not rush to his demise in darkness and despair. They said it was easier to have a source of light, so that he could look death in the eyes, and know his quest was but a foolish endeavor – an ambitious dream spurred by the innocence and arrogance of youth.

 

But the warrior was wise beyond his years, and he knew the light would only draw death to him even quicker. In the shadow of darkness, he knew he could still hope to prevail.

 

His free hand traced the cavernous walls as he advanced, committing the cave’s large passageways to memory. He stopped every few seconds to gather his wits and listen, aware that his sharp hearing represented his salvation.

 

He remembered the small token nestled in his thick leather sporran – a lock of brown hair tied with red string.

 

At once, the sweet memory seized him, wrapping its tendrils around his mind in a soothing embrace.

 

“Why are you giving me this?” he had asked the maiden shortly before setting foot inside the cave. “Is this your custom?”

 

“It is no custom, sir,” the girl replied, her hazel eyes widening as she registered his confusion. “It is my gift to you. The first I’ve ever given to a man.”

 

The warrior looked down at the maiden’s hand, and at the lock of hair resting on her outstretched palm. Gifts were a foreign custom to the weary fighter – a fleeting memory of his childhood, of the years before the tranquility of youth gave in to duty and concern.

 

“It is for your protection,” the girl insisted, her voice trembling like a fallen leaf, scattered by the wind. “For good luck.”

 

“Why waste your precious gift on me, sweet lass?” he had asked. He studied the outline of her mouth, barely parted to allow for air to pass through her lovely lips.

 

Her tongue darted out to wet those tempting lips. “It is no waste, sir,” the maiden replied. Her soft gaze bore into his with steady conviction. “You will save our village from the beast and succeed where others have failed. I have faith in you.”

 

Mystified, he had picked up her simple offering with his right hand, the tips of his fingers brushing against her calloused palm. Her hands were small, far too delicate for the intense labor she’d been subjected to.

 

Whoever this girl was, one thing remained certain in the warrior’s mind. She was not a highbred lady. Her hands were far too rough, her brown dress far too worn and dirty, and her matching tartan far too faded with age to warrant such a title.

 

Yet, despite her shabby appearance, the warrior could not deny that there was something endearing about her, a warmth that radiated from the depths of her hazel eyes and sun-kissed face – a sense of dignity betrayed by the tilt of her chin and the pleasant outline of her small shoulders. She did not look a day over twenty, but her manner was that  of a woman wise beyond her years, who had seen and suffered more than what her tender age required.

 

A sudden movement interrupted the warrior’s reveries. The noise reverberated through the dark cave, echoing like the sound of a dropped coin hitting the bottom of a well.

 

The beast had awakened.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Instinct urged the warrior to stop, his heart pounding against his chest with anticipation. He listened to the reverberations, tracing their source with his sharp hearing. In silence, he moved to the side of the passage, thankful the wide cavern did not impede his large frame in any way. He stood with his back against the wall, the sharp stone digging into his flesh like a knife. His breathing was shallow, as if afraid the air could betray his presence.

 

Nonetheless, his patience and hearing were rewarded, and soon he could discern the outline of the beast in the cavern’s gloom.

 

The elders had told him that the creature was massive – a monster made of leathery flesh, with golden eyes that pierced through the darkness like a poisonous blade. It emerged from the cave every full moon, preying upon the innocents living in the village, stealing the cattle and killing all who stood between him and his prey. Men, women, and children had perished against the creature’s wrath, innocents slain in their homes and beds. The monster dwelled in the caverns at the edge of the village, and many strong fighters had died trying to slay the horrific beast in its nest, the promise of marriage and riches far too tempting to resist.

 

But the warrior cared not for such frivolities. He sought something else, something which could not be bought by riches, or subdued by the warmth of a supple body tucked against his chest.

 

Unaware of his presence, the monster moved right past him. Its gold slits tore through the cover of darkness, bright and inhuman eyes that clashed with the misery the beast left in its wake.

 

The warrior’s grip on his sword tightened, infusing the blade with raw strength and determination. He waited for the beast to advance, to put some much-needed distance between him and the unyielding tormentor. As he leaned against the cavern’s walls, his memory flashed back to the girl and the token she had so generously gifted him.

 

He had thanked her, of course, overwhelmed by her concern and the intent behind her simple gesture.

 

“What is your name, sweet lass?” he had asked, his brown gaze engrossed by her hazel orbs and her long dark eyelashes. He had vaguely heard of the rewards promised to the man who could slay the beast and live to tell the tale… but had never given much thought to claim them.

 

“Rey,” she replied, her voice a whisper in the daylight. A simple name, but one that held the promise of comfort and good fortune.

 

“And tell me, sweet Rey, have you been promised to anyone?” he inquired, admiring how her brown tresses billowed in the wind, aware that he now held a small piece of her in his large hand.

 

“No.” A faint blush spread across her cheeks. “No, I haven’t.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

Soon enough, the monster crossed the passage, heading to the depths of the cave, reaching hidden alcoves where the sun’s light never shone.

 

The warrior trailed the beast, his sword in his right hand, and the token cushioned by the worn leather of his sporran. He moved in silence, like a phantom, mindful that even the slightest sound could bring about his untimely death. He timed his advance with the beast’s movements, an attempt to mask the crunch of his leather soles on the gravel.  

 

The monster stopped in its tracks, turning around as its golden eyes narrowed into deadly slits. In response, the warrior clutched his sword until his knuckles turned white, though it was impossible to glimpse at such a change in the dark cavernous void he had entered. The token emboldened the ambitious fighter as much as his willpower did, and he felt a surge of masculine pride at the thought of the lovely girl who had placed her faith in him.

 

Raising his sword above his head, the warrior slashed the beast under the shroud of darkness, drawing first blood.

 

The beast howled, the unnatural wail reverberating through the cave with the power of a thunderstorm, its demonic eyes squinting shut under the sharpness of the blade before opening again, furious at the warrior’s audacity. Its golden gaze sought the source of pain, head swaying in the darkness.

 

Stepping to the side, the warrior used the creature’s eyes as a guiding light, anticipating where it might strike next. The young man’s reflexes were as sharp as the weapon he wielded, honed by years of rigorous training and discipline, a skill that marked him as a formidable leader of men, despite his age.

 

With a sudden roar, the creature lunged in his direction, missing his broad frame by mere inches. Tilting his body, the adept fighter adjusted his blade to strike once more.

 

The steel slit the monster’s jagged throat, and blood oozed from the gaping wound, staining the beast’s flesh and the warrior’s tartan. Letting out a furious growl, the creature fell to the ground with a loud thud, collapsing under the weight of its pain. Victory loomed, yet the brave man did not pause to celebrate, aware that certainty was but a fleeting state – one that could be easily upturned by mistake and opportunity.

 

As he expected, the beast thrashed, and the warrior tightened his grip on the large sword, raising the weapon over his head anew.

 

With a singular stroke, he lopped off the monster’s head and shut its golden slits forever.

 

 

~*~

 

 

The warrior emerged from the depths of the cave at dusk, clutching the monster’s head in his right hand. His long fingers dug into the creature’s leathery flesh, and his large muscles corded from the size and weight of its skull. His sword lay sheathed in its scabbard, blood dripping on the cold soil from its deadly blade.

 

As he stepped out into the fading daylight, there were no crowds present to cheer for his brave victory, no grateful audience to witness the miracle he had just wrought. There were no village elders who could praise his agile weapon and sharp mind, who could admit the harshness of their quick judgement.

 

Yet, despite that, the brave fighter was unmoved by the lack of spectators. He strode back into the heart of the village, carrying the proof of his triumph as blood trailed in his wake, like a stream across the cold earth. The red liquid stained his blue tartan – the proud color of the clan he had left behind to undertake this arduous journey.

 

When the house he sought came into view, the warrior paused, taking a deep breath that stretched the thin fabric of his tunic. The muscles in his jaw clenched as the person he sought came into view, her silhouette made brighter despite the dimming sun.

 

He continued his progress, indifferent to the attention his arrival had attracted, unmoved by the throng of villagers who now gathered to glimpse the slain creature for themselves. His true purpose now stood before him, oblivious to his arrival as she emptied the pig trough, her arms shaking as she lifted the heavy wood and tossed the dirty water to the side.

 

Setting down the object in question, she turned around and grabbed a wooden bucket, wrapping her small hands around the thick rope handle. She padded to the small well located at the back of the yard, the soles of her worn shoes dirty with muck and grime, the hem of her faded dress deep in mud.

 

His brown eyes softened at the sight, deeply moved by her resolve and the sheer willpower radiating from her small frame – a warrior in her own right, though she bore no sword. As he gazed at her filling the wooden bucket with fresh water, he committed himself to her, to the promise of affection and respect that he could give her if she allowed him to.

 

Tossing the creature’s head to the side, he squared his shoulders to summon the strength he sorely needed, for the warrior had never made himself vulnerable to another – nor felt the inkling of a deep fondness that went beyond familial bonds in all the nine and twenty years he’d been alive.

 

As the large skull hit the ground and drowned in muck and grime, the girl stilled and her grip on the rope handle grew lax.

 

She turned around them, taking in his appearance, her hazel orbs widening as the surprise of his arrival dawned on her. The corners of her mouth curled up ever so slightly, the marked sign of her relief at his survival.

 

He responded in kind, giving her a hint of a smile before parting his lips to utter the request that would bind them both – in sickness and in health.

 

“Marry me,” he said in a proud and booming voice. “Marry me, sweet Rey.”

  
  


\---


	2. A Maid Responds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I will have none but her,” he proclaimed, announcing his intent for all to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I am absolutely in shock by the amazing reception to the first chapter. Thank you so much for all the support, the kind words of encouragement, the lovely comments and kudos. I am so grateful. I hope you enjoy this second chapter as well. Thank you to my beta, @LoveofEscapism.

\--

  
In vain, the scheming elders attempt to parade the village beauties to dissuade the warrior. It seemed, Rey gathered, as she observed him clench his fist impatiently, the young man had already made up his mind.

 

“I will have none but her,” he proclaimed, announcing his intent for all to hear. Turning to Rey, he held out his hand, fingers trembling ever so slightly. “If you will have me, of course,” he added, his voice barely above a whisper.

 

His brown eyes bore into hers, intent yet pleading. As if he feared her rejection.

  
Rey stepped forward, studying his appearance anew. It seemed that, to their audience, he was nothing if not demanding – a tall and looming presence with broad shoulders and a blue tartan which did nothing to hide his imposing physique. A deep blue fabric stained by the blood of the creature he had banished for all eternity.

 

Yet, as Rey held his gaze, taking in the wan yet hopeful face dotted with a sprinkling of moles, glancing downwards until her eyes collided again with his outstretched hand, the tips of his fingers still trembling and fearful…she saw something else.

 

As if entranced, her body responded to his plea, and her hand went upwards to touch his own. Their fingers brushed together before his palm engulfed hers at last – and Rey’s heartbeat sang in her ears, rendering her oblivious to the protests of those around her.

  
  
“I will have you,” she spoke, her cheeks engulfed in heat. The blush spread with the swiftness of a forest fire, burning all opposition in its path.

 

She looked to the side. “I will have him,” she repeated, her voice loud enough to match his own, her eyes facing the disbelieving audience.

 

Challenging their authority.

 

“He is mine.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

  
  
“What is your name, brave warrior?”

 

They stood inside the small, wood church, only a few steps away from the altar. The audience had gathered, quietly seated in the pews to observe the upcoming nuptials. A travelling friar had chanced to pass through the treacherous glen bordering the village two days ago, journeying across forests and fields to baptize children and bury the dead.

 

Soon enough, he would arrive to wed them, awakened from his sleep in the dead of night. He would set foot inside the ancient church to forge an unbreakable and sacred bond.

 

“You’ve pledged yourself to me without knowing who I am,” the warrior whispered back, teeth grazing his lower lips as he looked down upon her face. “Why?”

 

Her breath hitched. How could she explain the way her heart had pounded in her chest when she had first glimpsed him? What name could she give to the impulse which had taken hold of her when she had gifted him the lock of hair?

 

How could she voice her desire to escape the prison she’d been born into?

  
  
Somehow, he seemed to sense her distress, his eyes glancing downwards at her hands as she clutched the only dress she owned, soiled by mud and hard work. A servant’s life was never easy, especially in a place like this.

 

“My name is Ben,” he said at last, voice still lowered, as if he feared to utter his true name. “Do you recognize the colors of my clan, sweet Rey?”

 

She shook her head, and a rosy blush spread across her cheeks in an instant. Doubtless he would think her silly for displaying this lack of knowledge. But her education had been non-existent in the absence of family to guide her – dead before she had even learned to utter her first words.

  
  
“I have offended you.” Rey lowered her eyes then, gaze fixed upon the wooden floor, too embarrassed to even study the deep blue of his tartan.

  
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, sorrow fused with the anger she had accumulated over the years in which she’d been nothing but humiliated – an orphaned girl with drunken parents, fit only for hard labor and scraps.

 

A soft touch brushed across her skin, tilting her chin upwards. “You could never offend me, sweet Rey,” he said, and the tenderness of his voice filled her eyes with a new wave of tears.

  
  
Taking a deep breath, she stilled herself, unwilling to allow the villagers a glimpse into the scars etched onto her soul.

 

“In fact,” Ben continued just as the church door opened, and a robed figure entered the dimly lit church. “I worry it is I who might offend you.”

 

Why? She wanted to ask, but the words remained unspoken, interrupted by the friar’s arrival.

 

Ben took her hand in his, and they turned towards the holy man. A small voice inside her head urged Rey to ask, to give voice to the questions and doubts his words unleashed.

 

 _You do not know this man_ , the voice said. _Do not trade one prison for another_.

 

 _Is he my new jailer?_ Rey pondered as she watched Ben say his marriage vows, observing her with a gaze that matched the intent of his voice – as if all the people in attendance had vanished and she was the only person he could see.

 

Or is this the start of something else? Something better?

 

 

  
~*~

 

  
  
They did not have a wedding night.

 

They had wed in the darkness, and the impending departure meant that there would be no time for the mysteries of the marriage bed. Preparations had to be made – supplies were procured easily from the villagers who were relieved upon the death of the beast which had terrorized them for years on end – and Ben’s horse was washed, hooved, and fed in accordance with the large journey that lay ahead.

 

By the time Rey caught another glimpse of her new husband, the sun was shining on the horizon, announcing the arrival of a warm spring day. He was standing in front of an old elm tree, holding the reins of his brown steed, his shoulders broad and defiant in the morning light.

 

Opening the church door, for she had loathed to spend her last night inside the stables to which her masters would confine her in, Rey stepped out into the sun, reborn.

 

Her husband was, if possible, even more beautiful and imposing in broad daylight. Somehow, his blue tartan had been washed clean of the blood which had stained it – though Rey imagined he could have very well brought a spare. His sword was sheathed in its scabbard, equally clean, as if he had not just slain a terrifying beast inside a dark and dangerous cavern – with only skill and instinct to guide him. His dark hair was neatly combed, and the tips which touched his shoulders were slightly trimmed – a marked contrast to his disheveled appearance inside the church. So quick had they been to wed each other, that they both neglected their appearance in the moments of sheer excitement which had overtaken them.

 

As she neared her new husband, Rey could not help but compare his cleanliness to her own lack of hygiene. She had fallen asleep in one of the pews, weary after a long day of hard work and the excitement of the previous evening – her only dress was worn and covered in blotches of dried mud, her hair tangled and visibly unwashed, her face dirty and exhausted – if the circles under her eyes and the crick in her neck were not proof enough.

 

Compared to her, Ben looked like a prince.

 

Lowering her eyes, Rey studied the tips of her boots, the only decent possessions she owned – despite the fact they were one size too small for her feet, and the right sole already had a large hole in it.

 

“Did you sleep well, sweet Rey?” she heard him ask, voice etched with concern.

 

She gave him a faint nod, and the slight chuckle he let out was proof enough that he didn’t believe her.

 

“You needn’t worry about sleep any longer, Rey,” he whispered, and the gentle tone made her glance up.

 

Furrowing her eyebrows, she focused on the depth and softness of his brown eyes, and the curious way they seemed to glisten. “Where are we going?” she asked instead, not quite able to understand why he looked at her in this way.

 

As if she moved him. As if he cared.

 

“You truly do not know?” he remarked. His kind gaze widened, and his lips parted.

 

Her hazel orbs rested on his mouth then. It was plump, unusually so for a man, and strangely inviting. His lips boasted a gentleness that stood in marked contrast to the sinews of his muscles – the sheer strength of his limbs visible despite the tartan which covered them. With the corner of her eye, she sneaked a glance downwards, taking in his blue kilt for one final time, the proud color of his mysterious clan.  

 

“I don’t know,” Rey admitted at last, her gaze travelling lower and lower until it rested on his bare knees. She took in the too-narrow expanse of skin she could glimpse between the kilt’s hem and his dark leather boots, her cheeks tinged with a rosy blush.

 

She heard Ben chuckle again and looked away, fearful of having been caught staring. Focusing instead on a patch of muddy grass nearby, she took a deep breath.

 

Of course, Rey was well-aware she could have found out his clan’s name had she paid attention during the marriage ceremony. But, when faced with the sight of her future husband standing before her – tall and proud as if he’d married a princess of Scotland – and the warmth of his palms engulfing her own as he’d listened intently to the priest’s exultations about the sanctity of marriage, she’d been…distracted, to say the least.

 

“My family belongs to the Skywalker clan,” he uttered in a low voice, as if he feared of someone overhearing them in the middle of an empty field.

 

“Oh,” she replied with a shrug, brushing aside the strange nature of his action.

 

His eyes widened in confusion. “Oh?”

 

“Am I supposed to know who this clan is?” Her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. “A-as you can imagine, my education is…lacking.”

 

“N-no,” he replied, and the corners of his mouth went up in a smile that seemed almost relieved.

 

She tilted her chin, not quite sure what to make of the man standing before her – a stranger, despite the bond which now linked them. “Is there something wrong?”

 

Ben simply shook his head, then ran a hand through his hair. “I-I thought you would judge me because of it.”

 

At that, Rey could only laugh. “You cannot judge a person based on something you don’t know.” Clenching her fists, she dug her fingers deep into the dirty fabric of her dress. “You didn’t judge me either.”

 

“Why would I do that, sweet lass?”

 

Rey gestured at her clothes, ruffling the worn material with her hand. “I look like this,” she pointed out, a ghost of a smile etched on her face at the absurdity of it all. “I look like this, and you still married me.”

 

“It wasn’t a hardship,” came his reply, uttered with a conviction that stunned her. She watched as he glanced down, eyes focused on the movement of her mouth.

 

Wetting her lips, Rey stepped closer, powerless to stop her instinct, wishing she could understand the strange pull she felt for this stranger – this brave warrior who had brought peace to this cursed corner of the world.

 

“You claimed me,” Ben stated, somehow not pulling away from her. Instead, he leaned forward, the corners of his mouth lifting upwards.

 

In that moment, she could read him like an open book – aware that he was thinking of the moment she had given him a lock of her hair, neatly tied up with a piece of red string.

 

There was no need to wonder if he’d kept it. The depth of his gaze into her own provided the answer.

 

“That doesn’t make it any less of a hardship,” she retorted.

 

At that, Ben tilted his head, and gave her a pensive look. “It makes it a privilege,” he said, his tone infused with strange passion. “To be chosen by you… I cannot think of a higher honor.”

  
Chuckling to herself, Rey shook her head.

 

“You had faith in me when no one ever did,” he continued, leaning closer and closer until Rey was almost certain her heart would cease to beat in his mesmerizing presence – and from the thrill of knowing how her simple words and gesture had marked him. “You spurred me on and gave me hope. You are, in truth, braver than I can ever hope to be.”

 

To see such a warrior – so imposing and seemingly unaffected by the hardships of the world around him – unveil himself to her, showing a side of him that men were always discouraged to display, filled Rey with unparalleled strength.

 

In that moment, the marrow of her bones had turned to steel.

 

“We’ve never even kissed,” she blurted out instead, her mind soaring with this newfound courage and the acknowledgement of her own inner strength. It astonished her how, despite having just met her, this man had carved a place for himself inside the depths of her soul.

 

She heard his breath hitch, and for a brief second, she stood suspended in time, waiting for his response.

 

“Would you like to kiss me then, sweet Rey?” he asked in a gruff voice, his eyes darkening.

 

Upon observing the resolve in his gaze, she could only nod. She was panting now, words deserting her just when she needed them the most. Her throat had dried, as if she’d travelled across a wasteland alone – parched and wandering aimlessly, until finally glimpsing a stream of clear blue water. A blue so deep it matched her husband’s kilt – the tartan he called home.

 

Unclenching her fists, Rey approached him further, lifting her palms until they rested on his elbows. Her voice might have left her in this crucial moment, but her body still functioned – aching and desirous to touch.

 

His skin was pleasant to the touch – warmed by the morning sunrays despite its pale hue. Wordlessly, she pulled him closer, watching in awe as his eyelids fluttered closed – long lashes that matched the darkness of his hair. He was, Rey noticed, just as keen and curious as she was, and his breath caressed her lips in anticipation.

 

She did not make him wait long.

 

In an instant, her lips brushed against his own, basking in the softness of his eager mouth.

 

 

~*~

 

  
Her new husband tasted sweet. As sweet as the gentle tone he used to call her by her name, the tenderness in his eyes when he listened to her speak or when he had uttered his wedding vows in the depths of the night.

 

Encouraged by those thoughts, Rey pressed her mouth against his – not quite certain what to do despite her eagerness. She’d glimpsed at young couples kissing in the village when they thought nobody was watching, hiding herself behind large bushes and old oak trees for fear of being caught. All the while, she had wondered what it would be like to feel a man’s lips against her own, to feel the stirrings of desire bloom inside her chest at his touch.

 

Nothing could have prepared her for _this_.

 

Her desire roared instead, an incessant pounding that sent her heart aflame. She wanted his mouth, his hands, his whole being to engulf her – to consume her like a roaring flame until nothing was left but dust, small particles scattered in the wind and nurtured by the daylight.

 

Tightening her grip on his elbows, Rey moved her lips against his mouth the way she’d seen it done, hoping against all odds that he could understand her wishes, that he could somehow stifle – if only for a moment – the fierce fire which had erupted in her soul.

 

Instead, he fanned the flames.

 

Pulling her towards him, Ben wrapped his large arms around her waist, lifting Rey up in them until her feet no longer touched the ground. The sudden movement caused her to moan against his mouth, and then she felt Ben slip his tongue between her lips to claim her.

 

There will be no stifling. The thought sang in her ears as she sighed against Ben’s lips, giving him leave to deepen the kiss. The tips of her fingers dug into his belted plaid, hands basking in the richness of his tartan – and the realization that she wanted to keep the fire burning sank in with ease.

 

Therefore, when the kiss ended, and her feet touched the ground again, it was as if she’d been doused in a freezing loch – bereft by the thought that they needed to breathe, that they could not go on kissing and touching each other forever.   

 

“Patience, sweet lass,” she heard Ben whisper against her ear, his voice caressing her skin.

 

Eyelids fluttering open, Rey’s gaze collided with his own. Moisture had gathered at the corners of his eyes, and in that moment, she knew this kiss had marked Ben just as deeply as it had done  her – though she feared to speculate why, for fear of being too presumptuous.

 

Surely, she pondered as she watched him study her features in silence, surely such a warrior must have claimed many hearts in his life.

 

He coughed faintly. “We should leave early if we wish to travel far.”

 

Nodding, she allowed Ben to head back to his horse, observing as he untied the animal’s reins from the elm tree with practiced ease. A deep sigh escaped her tender lips as she watched Ben pet the large beast, his palms brushing against the horse’s mane. She looked on as her husband bent over to whisper something in the steed’s ear, basking in the soft rumble of his voice and the gentleness of his gaze.

 

The horse seemed to thrive under this attention, letting out a joyful neigh – like a puppy who rejoiced in the long-awaited return of his master. A smile tugged at Rey’s lips when the animal allowed Ben to lead him by the reins, and they approached her with a steady rhythm – hooves and boot soles imprinted on the soft ground.

 

They stopped just a few steps away and Ben held out the reins to her – his right arm stretched in a silent plea. Smile widening, Rey took his offering, her fingers trembling as they brushed against his own.

 

Clutching the reins with her right hand, she allowed herself the luxury to pet the horse herself. Her left palm glided over the animal’s side with ease, and a small chuckle left her lips when the steed neighed again.

 

“His name is Chewie,” she heard Ben say.

 

From the corner of her eye, she watched as Ben fumbled with one of the bags tied to Chewie’s saddle, doubtless filled to the brim with food and other necessary supplies.

 

“What are you doing?” she asked as he pulled out a bundle of blue fabric. As she studied the material, Rey could glimpse a patch of black leather peeking out from underneath.

 

“We have a long journey ahead of us, sweet Rey,” he said in his tender voice, clenching his jaw in what appeared to be visible concern. “I…this is for you.”

 

Ben gave her the bundle with trembling hands, as if fearing the gesture would somehow displease her. Tilting her head in confusion, she released the reins and took his offering, pulling the leather and fabric to her chest.

  
Once Ben took hold of the reins anew, she glanced down to see what he had gifted her.

 

Her breath hitched, and, at once, Rey’s vision blurred with unshed tears. Blinking the moisture away, she focused on the bundle in her hands again, taking in the unbelievable sight that lay before her.

 

He had gifted her a new dress. And a sturdy pair of leather boots.

 

\-- 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much [erney007](https://erney007.tumblr.com/post/183195491377/for-the-amazing-bunilicious-and-her-brilliant) and [sweetkyloren](https://twitter.com/sweetkyloren/status/1102677712307716099) for these beautiful moodboards they made for my fic! You can click on their usernames to see the full images at their original source.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone for reading this chapter. If you liked it, please do not hesitate to show your support. Your lovely comments mean a lot <3


	3. A Holy Bath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It gives me great joy to see you smile, sweet Rey,” he told her, his fingers brushing against the fine, blue fabric of her dress. It was a shade lighter than the tartan he wore, but, nevertheless, the color made her feel like she belonged.
> 
> Like she had finally found a home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, I have added two more chapters to this fic. Thank you so much for supporting this fic, for leaving kudos and comments, for reblogging and sharing my work. I really appreciate it, and I hope you enjoy this update. Thank you to my beta @loveofescapism.

\--

 

She locked herself inside the church.

 

Sitting in the back pew, Rey finally allowed her tears to flow – unencumbered by the need to quell her true emotions.

 

To say Ben’s gift had surprised her was a gross understatement. She was stunned to the core by the thoughtfulness of his gesture, and how he seemed to have anticipated her needs without her having voiced them out loud. In all the years she’d been alive on this earth, kind words had been scarce – and generous deeds scarcer still.

 

A knock interrupted her thoughts. “Rey?” she heard Ben call out from outside in a worried tone. “Are you unwell?”

 

He pressed her nose to the blue fabric of the dress, inhaling its scent. It smelled of cleanliness and heather – perfumes that were foreign due to the harsh and menial work she’d been subjected to since she’d learned how to walk.

 

Her eyes welled with tears anew. “I-I am fine,” she sniffed, pressing the fabric to her cheek, marveling at how soft it was in contrast to the roughness of her hands. “Truly.”

 

“Have I offended you?” her husband continued, the inflection in his voice betraying the depth of his concern. “I-I didn’t mean to, sweet Rey. We have a long journey ahead of us and…”

 

Standing up, she rushed until she neared the closed door. “I know,” she interrupted him, wanting to grant him entrance, but aware she was still not quite prepared to let him see her in this state. “I am merely surprised that you thought to gift me this.”

 

“Of course I would give you a gift,” he said in a matter of fact tone, as if looking out for her was the most natural thing in the world to him now.

 

Taking a deep breath, Rey leaned against the door. To be cared for in such a manner was, without question, unusual and overwhelming – something she had never dared to dream of.

 

“I need a moment to myself,” she spoke at last, contemplating the blue fabric and the black leather peering out from beneath. “I…I must dress.”

 

A pause settled over them like a blanket, and, in the confines of the small church, only her uneven panting could be heard. She clutched the bundle to her frame, waiting in anticipation for his reply.

 

“Do you… need help?” Ben said at last, and in that moment, she wished she could glimpse his beautiful face.

 

_ Yes. _

 

“N-no,” came her quick reply. “I-I can manage.”

 

She removed herself from the door, setting the precious bundle on one of the pews. If Ben had replied, she was completely unaware – focused intently on the pristine and treasured items she’d just received, and how they stood in contrast to the dirt staining her clothes and skin.

 

She surmised that he must have procured them from the village at night, and knowing the people who inhabited it…the gift must have cost a fortune.

 

“I cannot wear these,” she decided in a low voice, a wave of sorrow and shame overcoming her. “I will only tarnish them.”

 

Sitting next to the bundle, Rey let out a deep breath. The tips of her fingers reached out to examine the leather. She pulled out one of the boots, caressing the sturdy material and the seams which bound the leather fabric to the sole. There were no holes to be found, and the size was certainly bigger than the too-small boots she currently wore.

 

Guided by instinct, Rey peered inside the boot, and her eyebrows furrowed when she spotted a white rectangle peeking out from inside. Her hand reached down to pick up the object, and her eyes rounded when her fingers brushed against it.

 

Rey pulled out the rectangle, and, soon enough, the solution to her predicament unveiled itself.

 

She was holding a bar of soap.

 

 

~*~

 

 

She stood up as quickly as if she’d been burned, the leather boot falling unceremoniously on the wooden floor.

 

Holding the bar of soap in her hands, Rey moved with haste, guided by instinct and the overwhelming desire for cleanliness.

 

As she paced the church, her mind sang with gratitude and regard for her new husband, and a blush tinged her cheeks at the thought of how concerned he’d been for her well-being. It seemed she had not traded one prison for another, but, instead, she had soared into married life as free as a bird – touched by the affection of a man who had been but a stranger only a day ago.

 

Scouring the length of the room for what seemed like the hundredth time, Rey huffed in frustration. There was no water to be found in the small confines of this church. Pursing her lips, she thought of the nearest stream, merely a ten-minute walk away from where she stood, and wondered if it was deserted at this time of the day. Doubtless, men and women were out and about – fishing or washing their sheets, perhaps even gathering pails filled with water to feed animals and water the gardens.

 

Rey’s eyes wandered across the unadorned walls, scanning the large beams until they rested on one of the stoups.

 

_ Perhaps _ …

 

Her body reacted before she could even finish the thought, rushing to the nearest stoup in earnest. It was, of course, filled to the brim with sanctified water, the holy liquid saved for blessings to all those who set foot inside the small church.

 

Unconsciously, Rey’s fingers brushed against the water. Did she dare?

 

From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a baptismal font tucked in the corner, made entirely of stone and carved with benevolent angels. It was, she could plainly see, designed for full immersion, and filled with enough water to suit her needs.

 

Holy water…but water, nonetheless.

 

Nearing the large basin, Rey hoped God would forgive such a transgression – and she imagined he would understand, that she only wanted to come to her new husband as clean as he had presented himself to her this morning.

 

It was, Rey surmised, only fair.

 

She placed the soap at the edge of the baptismal font and quickly took off her clothes. All the while, she prayed the church wouldn’t go up in flames.

 

Rey bathed herself with haste, mindful of the long journey which awaited them. She washed her body and hair, too focused on cleaning herself up to enjoy the refreshing water. When she was done, she dried her shivering skin with a towel she’d found in between the folds of her blue dress – marveling at how her husband had somehow thought of  _ everything  _ she required beforehand. Knowing there was not enough time to fully dry her hair, she let it be, deciding that the warm sun rays would do the work instead.

 

Then, with a deep breath, Rey exited the church anew, throwing herself into her husband’s arms.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Whether Ben knew what had transpired or not inside the church, she could not tell. He seemed too busy pulling her close to his massive frame, large palms wandering the length of her back until they rested at her waist.

 

Pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, he let out a relieved sigh.

 

“I am feeling better now,” Rey said, pulling away enough to look into his brown eyes.

 

He rewarded her with a winning smile, one that seemed to light up his entire countenance. Standing on her tiptoes, feet comfortably nestled in her new boots, she pressed a kiss on his chin, only a breadth away from his lower lip.

 

The corners of her mouth curled up. “Thank you, husband,” she whispered, and a faint blush spread across the apples of her cheeks.

 

“It gives me great joy to see you smile, sweet Rey,” he told her, his fingers brushing against the fine, blue fabric of her dress. It was a shade lighter than the tartan he wore, but, nevertheless, the color made her feel like she belonged.

 

Like she had finally found a  _ home _ .

 

The thought caused Rey to pause and collect her thoughts, reminded at once of how little she knew of the man she had married. “Do you live far away from here?” she asked, watching in awe as his expression changed from playful to pensive.

 

Ben simply nodded. “My home is a five-day ride away, sweet Rey.” His jaw clenched, and she could not help but notice a slight twitch under his left eye. “In Caithness.”

 

Lowering her eyes, she bit her lower lip. “I…I don’t know where that is”, came her admission, a mere whisper carried by the wind.

 

Nonetheless, he heard her. “It is as far north as we can go by horse,” he replied in a tender voice, surprisingly unbothered by her lack of education. “There are islands north of there, but you’d have to cross the sea to reach them.”

 

“I’ve never seen the sea,” she murmured, her eyes welling with unshed tears. “In truth,” she said, gazed focused on the tips of her boots and the hem of her dress before she continued, “I have never travelled beyond the borders of this village. I-I never had the chance.”

 

He removed one of his hands from her waist, pausing briefly before his fingers caressed her chin, tilting it upwards until his gaze bore into her own.

 

Blinking her tears away, her eyes adjusted anew to the radiance of his features, the sprinkling of moles which dotted his kind face.

 

“You mustn’t feel embarrassed, my lovely lass,” he murmured in his soothing voice. 

 

“I know so very little about the world,” she admitted, sighing as the tips of his fingers brushed against her jawline.

 

Ben leaned forward, his mouth only a breadth away from her own. “It is never too late to learn, sweet Rey.” His eyelids fluttered closed, and her heartbeat quickened in anticipation. “Here, let me show you.”

 

He captured her lips with eagerness, pulling her flush against his broad frame. Moaning against his lips, she allowed his hands to roam freely across her back, until they finally settled on her hips. All the while, his warm mouth never left hers, kissing her until Rey was certain she would melt in his arms. A strange, fluttering sensation settled in the lower part of her belly, a new and oddly pleasurable experience that caused her to instinctively press her body even closer to his.

 

As she did so, a rough groan emerged from the back of Ben’s throat, primal and urgent. A curious hardness jutted out from between his legs, poking her lower belly and sending a wave of moisture at the apex of her thighs. Instinctively, she cried out, a strangled moan that was part pleasure and part need, and she rubbed her thighs together in search of something that seemed to elude her.

 

It was then that Ben’s lips left her own, trailing wet kisses down her neck. Burying his face in her shoulder, he took a deep inhale and moaned against her skin – now flushed and heated from the pleasure of his touch.

 

“Ben,” she sighed, hands reaching out to toy with his luxurious dark hair.

 

His response came in an instant, wordless and primal, in the form of a graze against her exposed skin. Biting her shoulder, he continued to touch her with his hands, clutching the sturdy fabric of her dress as if it inconvenienced him.

 

Letting out a chuckle, now fully aware of the extent of her husband’s desire, Rey pulled away enough to make him face her. Then, staring into his eyes, she allowed herself the pleasure of cupping his cheeks, fingers lightly tracing his features – the beautiful constellation of moles which gave his face an unexpected softness, the full lips which quivered with unspoken yearning, the proud aquiline nose which gave his countenance an odd aristocratic quality.

 

“You are so beautiful,” she marveled, the realization escaping her lips before her mind had caught up.

 

Her cheeks flushed then, and she would have lowered her eyes again had Ben not tilted her chin upwards.

 

“I should be the one saying that of you, sweet Rey,” her husband murmured, a ghost of a smile etched on his face. “You and your rosy cheeks and your charming freckles, your delectable mouth and your gentle sighs. Indeed, it is a miracle that I’m not robbed of speech in your presence.”

 

A soft laugh escaped her lips as she resumed toying with his hair, fingers caressing the tips. “Don’t say that. I should hate not hearing the sound of your voice.”

 

His eyebrows went up. “Just my voice, sweet lass?”

 

She shook her head, her blush deepening at the memory of his lips moving against her own and the hardness she had sensed between his legs.

 

“We should go now,” he said, mercifully allowing her to focus on less distracting thoughts.

 

It was only his presence now that was distracting, those strong arms and broad shoulders still making her heart flutter with excitement, as well as the startling contrast between the sheer power of his imposing frame and the tenderness behind his thoughtful gaze.

 

Wordlessly, he wrapped those muscular arms around her frame and picked her up into his arms as if she were a feather. With a surprised gasp, she rested her hands on his shoulders, a large grin breaking across her face.

 

“I can walk too, you know,” she taunted, observing as he moved towards the horse with a determined stride.

 

He shot her a teasing look, one that clearly showed he was very much aware of that fact. “I just wanted to hold you a while longer, that’s all,” Ben replied with a shrug, as if being alongside her required no effort at all.

 

In response, she rested her head against his chest, soothed by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

 

Once he placed her on the saddle, Rey could not help but remark that it was strange how quickly she had become so comfortable with her new husband.

 

Indeed, it was not married life which had changed them – having been bound to each other only a few hours ago, and in such haste that the wedding had not even been consummated – but something else. It was an ease and awareness that seemed to have predated their meeting, as if they had wandered aimlessly for a lifetime before setting eyes on each other – in a moment where everything seemed to have fallen into place.

 

Soon enough, he climbed the horse as well, settling himself behind her with ease. Leaning against his broad chest, Rey watched as he handled the horse’s reins with natural ease.

 

Then, with a gentle nudge and a swift command, they were off.

 

 

~*~

 

 

They stopped under the shadow of a great oak tree.

 

The sun was still shining on the horizon when Ben helped Rey dismount, his strong hands resting on her waist as her own palms used his shoulders for support. When her feet touched the ground at last, the new soles of her boots crushing the muddy grass underneath, she let out a shaky breath – still pleasantly affected by the warmth of his touch, despite having ridden on his horse all day.

 

“We shall rest here tonight. It’s safe enough.” Ben said, gently squeezing her waist in reassurance.

 

Having never set foot outside the village border, Rey could only nod at that, assured by his steady gaze.

 

His hand reached out to tuck a tendril of hair behind her right ear. With the help of the bright sun, it hadn’t taken long for her curls to dry, and now they billowed softly in the breeze – unencumbered and as free as she felt in this moment, in the presence of the warrior who made her heart sing with unaltered joy.

 

Placing a kiss on her forehead, he leaned forward, and Rey took in his scent – basking in the simple smell of soap and leather.

 

“We should eat,” he continued a few moments later, turning towards Chewie in search of supplies.

 

From the corner of her eye, Rey spotted a bow and arrow peeking out from one of the larger bags. Her hand instantly darted out to touch the weapon. “Wait,” she spoke out, finger brushing against the bow’s upper limb. “Let me.”

 

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

 

“I know we have food for the journey already.” She fumbled with the bag until she pulled out the bow. “But, let me do this. Let me do something for you.”

 

“You don’t have to feel obliged –”

 

“I don’t,” she interrupted, taking out one arrow. “It’s what I want to do.”

 

His eyes darted from her face to the weapon, curiosity etched on his features. “You hunt,” he stated in an even tone, no judgement or incredulity coating his words. Instead, she glimpsed something that resembled sheer pride.

 

Nodding, she turned around, fixing her eyes on the bow and arrow, positioning them in preparation for the plan wished to implement. “I do what I can to survive.”

 

“Did you go hungry often, sweet Rey?” she heard him ask in a low voice, and the tenderness etched in those words was enough to make her eyes glisten.

 

Blinking the tears away, she nodded, stepping away from Chewie. She fixed her eyes on the small thicket of trees nearby, studying the foliage and the sun rays she could still glimpse from between the heavy branches.

 

“Aren’t you going to ask me if I need your help?” she asked, and her fingers brushed against the fletching.

 

Waiting. Testing. Though in her heart she already knew.

 

Chuckling, Ben approached her, padding softly across the grass. His palms rested on her shoulders and he squeezed them reassuringly. “You’ve survived this long without my help, sweet lass,” he whispered, his breath warm against her ear. “Do you really think I’d doubt your skills?”

 

“Other men would,” she taunted, her face breaking into a smile as he pressed a soothing kiss on her earlobe.

 

“I’m not like other men,” came his steady reply. “You have no need for pity, Rey. You never did. And I won’t insult you by offering it. I could sit here and promise you that you will never go hungry again – but you’ve lived far worse and proved you could survive it all.”

 

Intrigued, she turned around, taking in his pensive expression. “What did I need then?”

 

“A reason worth leaving the life you knew,” he simply said, cupping her right cheek with his hand. She leaned into it, allowing him the freedom to caress her skin, now warm and rosy. “The unknown can be frightening, can’t it?”

 

Rey’s eyes widened and understanding settled in her gaze. “Was it frightening for you to leave then, too? To come here from the far north and slay a beast that could have very well killed you?”

 

He nodded.

 

“Why did you come here?” she pressed, eyes wandering over his features, knowing full well she would never tire of looking at him – at the mesmerizing way the strength of his body seemed to contrast with the tenderness of his regard.

 

“I needed to,” Ben replied, clenching his jaw as the words left his mouth. “To help others.” He paused, and his left eye twitched with emotion. “To prove myself a man.”

 

“To the clan you hail from?”

 

He gave an almost imperceptible nod and lowered his eyes. In that moment, she wanted to press further, to uncover the mystery that seemed to have settled over his past like a shroud. But, seeing her husband before her now, so vulnerable and open, despite the evident pressure to appear otherwise, gave her pause.

 

At least for now.

 

“I think you have proven yourself stronger than they could ever be,” Rey said with conviction, knowing full well the extent of the danger he had exposed himself to. “You are stronger because you aren’t afraid to admit your fears. And you are stronger for having set foot in our village – to save people you didn’t even know.”

 

Going on her tiptoes, she pressed a kiss on his cheek. “And you survived it all. How many people from your clan can claim what you have done? Their disbelief is their weakness.”

 

A smile broke out on his face. “And you are my strength.”

 

“As you are mine.”

 

\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have made it this far, please do not hesitate to leave kudos and comments on this story. Your support encourages me to continue working on this story.


	4. An Odd Bedfellow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do you have family of your own?” she asked, eyes focused on the careful movements of his jaw, as if he were weighing her words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has supported my previous update! I hope you enjoy this one as well. Thank you to my beta, LoveofEscapism!

 

She returned from the hunt with a rabbit, grinning widely as she handed Ben back his weapon.

 

In return, her husband had simply mirrored her expression, pride etched into his generous gaze. He set out to work in an instant, cooking the fresh dinner by the fire he’d started just moments after Rey’s triumphant reappearance.

 

Settling herself down beside him, Rey watched as he skinned the rabbit with precision and roasted it over the roaring flame. It was an oddly domestic scene to behold – unused as she was to observe a man take on duties that were expected of her to fulfil. Nonetheless, she was pleased to witness his movements – grace and agility displayed, even outside the field of battle. By the time he was done, the sun was slowly setting on the horizon, bathing his face in a warm glow.

 

They ate in silence, the sort of comfortable peace Rey thought befitted two people who had known each other an entire lifetime – who had somehow learned how to communicate their wishes through thoughts alone.

 

It was only after they had finished their simple meal that she spoke, turning her eyes away from the bright fire to look at him.

 

“Do you have family of your own?” she asked, eyes focused on the careful movements of his jaw, as if he were weighing her words.

 

At last, Ben nodded, his gaze softening. “My mother’s alive and well. You’ll meet her when we arrive home.”

 

Touched by his expression, a smile broke out across Rey’s face. “You must be close then?”

 

“My father died fighting the English not too long ago,” he replied, staring distantly into the fire, like he was replaying the scene in his mind. “For a while, my mother was the only family I ever had.”

 

“For a while?” she repeated. In her mind’s eye, Rey could plainly envision the life that Ben had led up to this point – a boy raised and loved by his family, who had been forced to become a man perhaps sooner than he was prepared to do so.

 

He turned to face her, and his hand reached out to touch hers, brushing against her knuckles. “You are my family now.”

 

“Oh,” she could only reply, touched by his regard. Despite their marriage, the implication behind their unbreakable bond had not completely sunk in until now.

 

He was now, without a doubt, her family. The only one she’d ever truly had. Without warning, an errant tear rolled down her cheek.

 

Try as she might, Rey could not contain it, and she would have turned away if Ben hadn’t stopped her – brushing the tear away with his thumb.

 

“You’ve never had a family,” he said in a matter of fact tone, one that stated he’d received the confirmation he sought long ago.

 

“My parents died when I was very little.” The ease with which she spoke of them surprised her, and Rey wondered if Ben was truly the cause behind this change. “I do not remember much of them…their faces are but a blur. But I know they liked the bottle too much for their own good. I was nothing but a burden to them.”

 

“I am sorry.” He squeezed her hand in reassurance. “No child deserves that.”

 

She looked down at his hand, watching as his large palm engulfed her own in its soothing warmth.

 

“I promised to myself that if I ever had a family of my own, I would never do the things they did.” The words flowed freely now, like a river breaking through a stone dam – and Rey was powerless, and, she discovered, unwilling to stop them. “But as my circumstances worsened, I became used to being alone.”

 

She shrugged, but despite the nonchalance of the gesture, she knew the fresh tears that welled up in her eyes spoke otherwise. Wiping them away with her sleeve, she spoke of the years of servitude which had followed – unable as she was to break away from the people she’d been given to upon her family’s untimely death.

 

“I did not mind working as a servant,” she spoke with a steady voice. “There is no shame in that.”

 

Ben nodded in response, his gaze consistently earnest, and Rey could plainly see he wished for her to continue unimpeded.

 

“I only wish I had been treated like a human being,” she added with a quiver in her voice. She bit her lip, and her resolve wavered for a moment, as the reminder of the scars she bore now bubbled to the surface.

 

Taking a deep breath, Rey brushed the thoughts aside, knowing full well she could not dwell on them for now. She would have to address them, she knew – for they would inevitably be visible to the naked eye – but for now, she decided to focus on the other issues which had plagued her throughout the years.

 

Those she could voice out loud for now.

 

“I have been alone for so long.”

 

In response, Ben squeezed her hand again. “You are no longer alone,” her husband replied in that tender voice of his, the one she’d become so fond of. “You have a family now, sweet Rey,” he continued, bringing her hand to his mouth for a kiss.

 

He pressed his lips against her knuckles softly, and her body quivered at the contact. “I can give you one,” he resumed, his voice lowering as if he had just shared a secret confession. “If you want me to.”

 

Her breath hitched at the words, though in truth, the implication behind them had dwelled consistently at the back of the mind – from the moment she had admired the strength of his body and the desire imprinted in his gaze, and from the blissful kisses they had shared not too long ago.

 

The words came easily, despite the frenzied way her heart pounded in her chest. “Of course, I do,” she said, tongue darting out to wet her lips. Her throat her dried, and Rey knew well it wasn’t from lack of water.

 

She also knew her reply was not the result of wifely duty. She wanted him – this brave, mysterious man, with his kind gaze and unparalleled display of strength. Her eyes rested on his chest, watching with rapt attention as it expanded with every breath he took, wondering what lay beneath the clothes he wore, beneath the tunic and the tartan, beneath the kilt which boasted the proud colors of his clan.

 

Kissing him was inevitable. Her mouth slanted against his own and she eagerly wrapped her arms around him. She pulled him close, basking in the unmistakable sensations he elicited – the fluttering of her heart, the curious warmth pooling at the apex of her thighs, as Ben’s palms rested on her hips and his fingers dug into her dress… as if in search of  _ something _ .

 

Soon enough, she was sitting in his lap, with no knowledge of how she’d ended up in that position. All the while they kissed, warmed by the fire shining in the darkness. The sun had set at some point during their conversation – and for the life of her, Rey could not recall when that had occurred, absorbed as she was by the presence of her husband and his touching words.

 

Her palms roamed across his body, caressing his face, his shoulders, his hair. He was, without a doubt, an intoxicating man – and the fact that his own desire seemed to mirror hers, spurred Rey on, emboldening each gesture.

 

At one point, when her hand wandered lower and settled at last on his left thigh, Ben let out a strangled moan. Smiling against his lips, Rey squeezed the hard muscle, making her intent clear.

 

In some ways, Rey was no stranger to the act which would follow. While she had never experienced it herself, she had accidentally stumbled upon hasty couplings in the village glen – glimpsing couples as they surrendered to their passion, trying her hardest to pass through the area without disturbing them.

 

What she had seen then, Rey had wanted. And, never in a million years did she suspect that she would be fortunate enough to experience the stirrings of this all-encompassing desire. That she would find someone with whom she would want to share this part of herself with.

 

Until Ben.

 

Encouraged by his reaction, Rey’s hand wandered further, closer and closer to the hard bulge which jutted out from between her husband’s thighs, the one she had felt press against her body earlier in the day when he’d kissed her.

 

Finding it at last, she reached out to touch it, the tips of her fingers grazing his kilt.

 

He pulled her away as if he’d been burnt.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“We should go to bed,” Ben said, breathing heavily as he stood up.

 

Furrowing her eyebrows, Rey looked up at him, observing as he paced quickly towards his horse. Fumbling with one of the larger bags, he pulled out some blankets.

 

_ Oh _ .

 

The thought slipped into her mind at once. Of course, she surmised, her husband wouldn’t claim her so hastily, tossing her on the hard and dirty ground.

 

Watching as he arranged the blankets on the grass into a makeshift mattress, Rey’s cheeks flushed.

 

“Yes,” she spoke at last, padding so that she stood near him under the shadow of the oak tree. “I completely agree.”

 

He said nothing in reply. Instead, he simply nodded, and Rey allowed him to set up their bed as he knew best. All the while, she fumbled with the buttons at the front of her dress, making room for a new wave of thoughts to wash over her.

 

She could, Rey knew, remove the clothes herself and save some time. Or, she could allow him to do the work himself, imagining he could very well take pleasure in that – seeing as he was very much a man of action and intent.

 

Under the cover of darkness, her ancient fears dwindled.

 

Of course, there was always a chance he might take her as is – clothes and all – like all the couples she had seen before.

 

She certainly harbored no objections to that.

 

Watching as he quickly set up the bed, Rey concluded that her husband might very well be impatience personified.

 

Stifling a laugh, she turned around to compose herself, allowing for a few moments to pass in which she could hear him fumble through the bags anew.

 

“This is your bed,” she heard him say, and the thought was enough to make Rey shoot him a confused look.

 

As she turned back, she watched in disbelief as her husband set up a second bed, some five steps away from hers.

 

“I don’t understand,” she murmured, her smile vanishing in an instant.

 

Ben looked at her with an anxious expression, and Rey tilted her head in response – not quite certain what to make of his reaction.

 

“We need to start early tomorrow if we want to make progress,” he told her, setting down the final blanket for his makeshift bed. “So, we have to go to bed. Alone.”

 

And, just like that, with no explanation whatsoever, he turned around and slipped beneath the covers of his bed.

 

 

~*~

 

 

If she weren’t so confused, Rey would have almost been offended.

 

Burrowing in her blanket, she stared at her husband’s back, tucked neatly as he was in his own makeshift cot.

 

To say his behavior was strange, was a gross understatement.

 

Eyes narrowed and unable to sleep, she studied his even breathing and tried to make sense of it all. Just moments ago, he had kissed her so passionately that there could be no doubt of his desire. His words, so tender and heartfelt, had been clear as well – marked by the desire to give her a family of her own.

 

And yet, despite his proclamations, he’d stopped, abruptly.

 

Immediately, the thought that she might be the cause of his behavior, slithered through Rey’s mind like a poisonous snake. Shifting until she lay on her back, she went through the final moments leading up to his odd behavior.

 

She had touched him… _ there _ . And as soon as her eager fingers had brushed against his kilt, he’d stopped as if doused in icy water.

 

"Have I done something wrong? Did my touch displease him?” Rey pondered as she stared at the night sky, observing the stars that watched over them like a caring mother.

 

However, despite their beauty and permanence, the stars held no answers.

 

Unwelcome thoughts followed her ruminations.

 

She wondered what the next day held for them both. Would Ben’s regard change, marked by the haste with which he’d extracted himself from her willing arms? But, as she recalled his gentle gaze, the care with which he’d gifted her clothes suitable for the long journey ahead, the wistful way in which he’d spoken of his mother – all her doubts dissipated in the cold night wind.

 

He would not shun her – of that she was certain. She had only just met this enigmatic man to whom she’d pledged herself for life, but everything in his nature and movements indicated that he cared much for those close to him.

 

Including her.

 

And, she realized as she stood up, pushing the blanket aside, Rey wanted to be close to him very much – both emotionally and physically.

 

She stood up at once, her mind made. If he would shun her now…

 

Shaking her head, Rey refused to entertain such a thought. She scooped the covers in her arms and dragged the makeshift bed in an instant – a heap of brown fabric almost invisible in the darkness, if not for the stars that lit her way, guiding her to him. Then, setting down the objects right next to her husband’s sleeping form, she went about arranging them as she’d seen him do, taking care not to wake him.

 

Soon enough, she was done, and taking a deep breath, she went down on her knees right next to him, her body sinking into the piles of blankets he’d prepared for her. Her breath was uneven as she leaned forward, contemplating Ben’s peaceful expression.

 

In the starlight, he seemed paler somehow, as if his face had never seen the light of day, making the moles sprinkling his face stand out even more. He looked vulnerable as he slept, so much unlike the invincible warrior who had walked over to her with the beast’s head in one hand – tossing aside the undeniable proof of his triumph as if it weighed a feather.

 

Raising her hand, she brushed her fingers against his cheek, helpless to stifle the instinctual need to rush to his side, to wrap herself around him as if he needed her protection instead.

 

“Perhaps you do,” the thought slipped through her lips, prompted by the memory of his melancholy face as he’d spoken of his father’s death, and the burden she suspected now weighed heavily on his shoulders.

 

She lay down on her makeshift bed and wrapped her arms around his waist. Closing her eyes, she placed a kiss on his shoulder blade and fell into a dreamless sleep.

 

\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter. I cherish your comments and kudos, so please let me know if you enjoyed this update! I've had medical issues all week, so the update schedule has been affected slightly. Thank you for your patience. I hope to recover quickly.


	5. A Long Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His behavior had come as a surprise, to say the least – a contradiction to everything she had seen him do up to that point. His tender gaze, his soothing embrace and passionate kisses, the thoughtful gifts that he’d bestowed upon her all seemed to show that for some reason, he cared for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! I'm back! Somewhat recovered, but I'll manage. Thank you to my beta, LoveofEscapism for helping me get this beast of a chapter out :D. If anyone is still reading this story, I hope you like it!

\--

 

She awoke in her husband’s arms.

 

Somehow, Rey surmised as her eyelids fluttered open and his gaze bore into hers, he had turned around and pulled her into his arms during the night, their noses so close to each other they were almost touching.

 

Taking in his serene appearance, she could only smile. His eyes were as tender as she knew them to be, and their corners crinkled with unfathomable joy. It seemed, at least on the outside, that the events from the previous evening had all been forgotten, and before she could contemplate this change even further, Ben’s lips slanted over her own in a slow kiss.

 

“Good morning, sweet Rey,” he whispered when they parted for air.

 

Her smile turned into a grin. “Good morning, husband,” she replied, running her fingers through his lush, dark hair.

 

She wanted to ask him so many things.

 

His behavior had come as a surprise, to say the least – a contradiction to everything she had seen him do up to that point. His tender gaze, his soothing embrace and passionate kisses, the thoughtful gifts that he’d bestowed upon her all seemed to show that for some reason, he cared for her.

 

And his regard somehow astonished her even more.

 

She _wanted_ to know, but, as Ben dipped his head and placed another kiss on her eager lips, all thoughts scattered like leaves in the wind.

 

 _It can wait_ , her mind supplied as she returned his heated kiss, pulling him closer and closer to her frame. _Perhaps he wants to wait until we arrive_.

 

He _did_ seem particularly eager to get home, Rey pondered as her husband began trailing kisses across her jawline, grazing her earlobe with his teeth until she let out a pleasurable moan.

 

“Ben,” she cried out, her thighs clenching at the contact. Now, her thoughts shifted, plagued by concerns over how she was going to survive the agony of waiting for their wedding night. “Ben.”

 

At the sound of his name, he looked up with a wild gaze, as if he’d awoken from a slumber that had lasted a century instead of a few hours.

 

“We should go,” he exclaimed, pulling away from her again.

 

Swallowing back the urge to groan, Rey simply nodded, watching helplessly as he stood up and began adjusting his tunic and kilt.

 

“Did you sleep well?” he asked as he did so, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

 

Biting her lip, Rey took in his concerned expression and nodded. In truth, the warmth of his body had been so soothing, she’d almost forgotten they had slept outside, at the mercy of nature.

 

“I-I should get ready,” she murmured, standing up as best she could under the circumstances, not at all prepared to abandon the cozy blankets they’d wrapped themselves within. The covers smelled like him too – like soap and leather, mixed with the fresh scent of heather from the mountains.

 

She took one of the blankets and folded it neatly. Burying her nose in the fabric, Rey inhaled slowly when she saw Ben turn away to check on their horse.

 

Soon enough, they were done, and she rushed to a nearby loch to clean herself, clutching a cloth and her new bar of soap.

 

“I won’t be long,” she told him, watching as he nodded with a smile in her direction.

 

As she looked, Rey noticed that he too was holding a small bar of soap, the rectangle becoming even smaller due to the size of his hands. For a moment, she toyed with the idea of waiting – or of perhaps suggesting that they bathe together as husband and wife. But, as the memories of the previous evening slithered through the cracks, she opted not to, unprepared and unwilling to face the possibility of another inexplicable rejection.

 

With a sigh, she hurried on.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“What was your childhood like?” Rey asked as Ben helped her unmount, her heartbeat fluttering when his large palms settled on her hips. “Tell me more.”

 

They had stopped for lunch in a forest clearing, not far enough from a small loch as blue as a sapphire gem. Wildflowers lay scattered across the field, bathed in warm sun rays visible from between the branches of towering birch trees.

 

As her feet hit the ground, Rey looked up into her husband’s eyes, a brief smile etched on her face as she watched his gaze soften with unspoken fondness.

 

“My mother raised me,” he said, letting his arms rest by his side. “She taught me almost everything I know.”

 

“What about your father?” From the corner of her eyes, she saw his jaw clench with sudden tension.

 

Ben turned around then, fumbling with the supplies tied to Chewie’s saddle. She stared at his back, admiring the width of his shoulders and pondering over the tension which seemed to grip him.

 

“I never saw much of him,” he spoke at last, pulling out a small loaf of bread for them to share. He turned around and extended his hand, fingers gripping the appetizing offering.

 

Extending her arms, Rey took the bread and observed as he slowly pulled out everything else. A thick wedge of cheese and some of the leftover meat from yesterday’s fare soon followed, and she accepted the food gladly, her stomach rumbling when she clutched the supplies to her chest.

 

At the unmistakable sound of her appetite, she watched his lips curl up into a sweet smile.

 

“Why?” she asked, brushing aside, if only for a moment, the delicious tingles which spread through her body at the sight of tender face. Her desire to know more about the man she had married outweighed almost everything else – curious as she was to peel away each of the layers which seemed to shield him from the scrutiny of the world.

 

In many ways, Rey knew they were very much alike.      

 

“My father was always off somewhere else,” Ben said simply, pulling out a blanket for them to sit on.

 

Tilting her head, she considered his words. Doubtless, a warrior as powerful as her husband could only come from a line of equally skilled fighters – strong men who were called upon to serve their laird, to fight for king and country against their foes.

 

She remembered the moment Ben had told her his father had died fighting the English, and she could only deduce the father had perished before his time, a man so committed to fighting that the battlefield outweighed the duties of parenthood.

 

Laying the blanket down on the ground, Ben continued. “You probably imagine he was out fighting someone else’s wars all day.” He looked up, fixing her with a searching gaze.

 

The sudden glint in his eyes told Rey that her expression had betrayed her. “Perhaps,” she admitted. “You said he died on the field of battle.”

 

“Aye,” he spoke, striding over to her to pick up the supplies she held in her arms.

 

Handing them over, she padded to the blanket and sat down, watching as her husband prepared their meal.

 

“My father was born and bred to fight,” Ben continued as he cut the wedge of cheese into thin slices. “And he expected no less of his only son.”

 

The meaning behind the statement sunk in, and Rey’s gaze deepened with this newfound understanding. “And he never got what he desired,” she replied.

 

Ben nodded. “As a child I preferred the comfort of books over those of the training ground. I would spend hours reading and studying everything and anything I could get my hands on.”

 

His lips curled up into a bitter smile, the type that always brought forth memories which had long ago been buried. Memories which, Rey knew instinctively he would have rather kept at bay for now. Still, despite that, Ben was opening himself up to her, and Rey blinked away an errant tear at the thought of her husband overcoming this hesitation for her sake.

 

“I was never a good rider or hunter. My skills with a sword were lacking.” He shrugged, though Rey could see deep down that the thought had gnawed at him as a child, despite the nonchalance of his present gesture. “At least I was never good enough for my father – and all the soldiers and wise old men he surrounded himself with.”

 

“What did you mother think?”

 

A small chuckle escaped his lips. “She never cared what they thought,” Ben replied, handing her a slice of cheese to eat. She took his offering gladly, her stomach churning the moment she bit into her food, impatient for sustenance.

 

“My mother took me under her wing and taught me what she knew – matters which the men in my clan deemed unfitting for a man,” Ben continued. “Needless to say, there was much fighting over my education.”

 

Instantly, Rey was reminded of the ease and grace with which he’d executed every domestic task on their journey thus far: the methodical way he’d made their beds last evening, the speed and care with which he’d prepared their meals, the thoughtful nature of his gifts and the almost nurturing quality of his manner – and how the undertaking of such feminine tasks did not disconcert or embarrass him at all.

 

Indeed, a man so comfortable with tasks most of his sex would deem too feminine could only have been raised by a woman. A remarkable woman who, Rey could tell, had stood up to the men in her clan and demanded that her son not be subjected to damaging and narrow perceptions of how men ought to be.

 

“But you still killed the beast,” she continued. The image of how proud and fierce he looked as he’d thrown the skull at her feet was still fresh in her mind. “You were certainly skilled enough for that.”

 

He took a bite from his food, chewing carefully before speaking. “In the end, I learned. Some skills are fortunately acquired through painstaking practice and patience.”

 

“I assume your father was not a patient man.”

 

“My mother had enough of that for both of them. She oversaw my instruction eventually.” He swallowed heavily, fidgeting with a piece of bread. “My father died before he could see the final result of her work.”

 

“I’m sorry,” she said, powerless to avoid her eyes from welling with tears.

 

Cupping her face, he brushed an errant tear with his thumb. “You needn’t cry for my sake, sweet Rey. It all turned out well in the end. I set out to prove myself to those who doubted me, and now the news of what happened in your village will reach my clan before we do.”

 

“I know,” she said, yet the thought of a boy burdened with his father’s expectations still weighed heavily on her heart. “If we have children,” she murmured as she leaned into his touch, “I don’t want them to feel that they are never enough.”

 

It was only when she heard his breath hitch that she looked into his eyes again. His gaze had darkened slightly, and heat pooled between her legs at the intent behind his stare.

 

“They won’t,” he promised, leaning forward until their lips were only a breath away. He kissed her then, a soothing peck that made her spine tingle as effectively as the long and breathless kisses they had shared up until now. “Our children will always be loved.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

“You said you liked to read as a child,” she said, observing as Ben packed away their supplies and returned to lay down on the blanket next to her. Before settling down, he nodded.

 

Content to rest for a few minutes longer, Rey stared at the sky, marveling at the warmth of the sun and the absence of any unwanted clouds. She took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh smell of wildflowers. Then, she closed her eyes to organize her thoughts – to muster enough courage to utter what had laid buried in the depths of her mind from the moment Ben had spoken about his childhood.

 

“I don’t know how to read,” she confessed. “Or write.”

 

Biting her lower lip, she opened her eyes and looked to the side, watching as Ben’s gaze bore into hers with understanding.

 

She was so relieved to notice the absence of pity that she could have wept.

 

“I know,” he said. “I remember how confused you looked when you signed the wedding register.”

 

Her eyebrows furrowed. The wedding had occurred so quickly that she hardly remembered anything beyond fragments of the vows they’d uttered, as if in a daze. The relief at having found a sense of belonging, combined with the irresistible appearance of her new husband had rendered her mind completely useless.

 

“The only thing I know how to do is sign my name,” she murmured, her cheeks flushed from embarrassment. “I can only hope I signed it correctly.”

 

“You did,” he assured her, turning on his side to gaze upon her flushed countenance.

 

Using his elbow for support, Ben continued to look at her. As his eyes scanned her features, Rey could only marvel at the determination she discerned beneath his gaze, and the irresistible way his plump lips had parted. Her throat went dry, wondering what he wanted to say.

 

“You need a teacher.”

 

His other hand inched closer, fingers brushing against the blue fabric of her sleeve, moving downwards until they brushed against her hand.   

 

For a moment, her breath hitched, stunned anew by the fluttering sensation in her lower belly and the pleasurable tendrils coursing through her veins. Yet, amidst the unmistakable attraction, Rey continued to remain touched by his regard for her wellbeing.

 

“Can you help me?” she asked at last, though deep down she already knew the answer.

 

Still, he nodded, withdrawing his hand and sitting up right afterwards. Looking around, he spotted an errant twig and reached out for it.

 

“I will teach you what I can now,” he murmured as he took the twig and began drawing a few letters on the soil.

 

Sitting up, Rey could only stare at the precise movements of his right hand. He drew lines and rounded symbols with ease, fine letters that could only belong to a man who had spent his life dedicating himself to scholarly pursuits.

 

He started with the vowels, drawing each letter and then handing her the stick to write them herself. All the while, his soothing and patient voice guided her.

 

“I can hire a tutor once we arrive,” he assured her once she’d finished copying the fifth symbol and handed him the stick. Placing it on the blanket, he took her trembling hands into his own and brought them to his lips.

 

The kiss was brief, but soothing, nonetheless. “If you want to, of course.”

 

Wetting her lips, Rey nodded. “I do,” she breathed.

 

A tear trailed down her cheek, but she was too absorbed by her husband’s gentle gaze to wipe it away as if it had never existed. In that moment, she allowed herself the luxury to be free with her emotions.

 

To simply be herself.

 

“I never thought I would ever get the opportunity,” she whispered. “Even holding a book in my hands seemed like an impossible dream.”

 

His lips curled up in a soft smile. “Not anymore, sweet Rey,” he said, leaning forward until his lips touched her forehead in a tender kiss. “I promise you.”

 

Closing her eyes, she allowed the familiar warmth of his touch to engulf her. With a satisfied sigh, she wrapped her arms around him, fingers brushing against his clothed back.

 

In return, Ben kissed her temple, her nose, and then the apples of her cheeks. It was, Rey knew, a tender reminder that now her dreams would finally come true, yet she could not prevent a fresh wave of tears from forming. The tears trailed down her cheeks and he kissed them away, whispering endearments and promises as he did so.

 

“I think I’m falling in love with you,” she murmured, burying her face in his chest when the tears had finally ceased.

 

Pressing her cheek against his heart, she looked up, eyes open and curious as she examined his features.

His own eyes had widened, clearly stunned by her confession. But, beneath the surprise, she could glimpse that unmistakable tenderness of his that contrasted so heavily with the sheer strength he exuded and his broad, imposing physique.

He cupped her cheek with his large palm, his thumb brushing across her lower lip every so gently. Bending down, he pressed another kiss on her forehead. “As am I,” he whispered, his low voice tinged with unmistaken emotion.

Then, he tilted her chin up and claimed her lips with his own.   

 

 

~*~

 

 

He taught her the rest of the letters after dinner.

 

They spent their journey and meal absorbed in conversation, so much so that the hours they had been riding seemed to have passed like minutes. They talked of their childhoods, his so focused on fighting and living up to his clan’s expectations, hers so consumed by hard labor and the obligations thrust upon her by her masters. Yet, beneath it all, Rey knew their loneliness had plagued them equally – the desire for belonging a permanent state regardless of how many people surrounded them.

 

Soon enough, their lesson had ended, interrupted by the pressing need to wake up at dawn and continue their journey north. As her husband went to a nearby loch to see to his needs, Rey busied herself with preparing their makeshift bed, taking great care to ensure they would once again wake up in each other’s arms.

 

Once she had finished, Rey sat down on their shared cot, deep in thought. Biting her lower lip, she scanned her surroundings, taking in the waning sun and the tall trees swaying in the wind.

 

Waiting for her husband to arrive.

 

She removed her dress with haste, taking care to fold it neatly for the upcoming day. Dressed now only in her chemise, she stood up once more and placed the garment inside one of the bags resting at the foot of a nearby tree. As she rummaged through it, she noticed another dress carefully tucked inside, a darker shade of blue, yet just as beautiful as the first one Ben had gifted her.

 

Touched by his regard, her lips curled up in a smile, knowing full well that her husband was undoubtedly planning to give the dress to her on the following day.

 

“I will just have to pretend I’ve never seen it,” she mused with a chuckle, delighted at the thought of waking up in his arms once more, of the tender kisses Ben would undoubtedly shower her with as soon as she opened her eyes.

 

Behind her, Chewie neighed, and the agitated sound was enough to bring Rey back to her current situation. Turning around, she observed the horse and rushed towards him, brushing his mane with her fingers to calm him down.

 

“Shhh,” she whispered gently.

 

The wind picked up, rustling the leaves in an unsettling manner. Her thoughts went from the anxious Chewie to her husband’s whereabouts, and the length of his absence left her feeling unsettled.

 

Stepping away from the horse, she wrapped her arms around her, eyes focused on the direction her husband had left some time ago.

 

 _If something happened to him_.

 

She shook her head, unwilling to entertain such a horrible thought. As her chemise billowed in the wind, she rushed towards the cluster of trees that stood between her and Ben, intent on finding him.

 

She did not have to look long.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Ben stood with his back towards her, stripped to the waist.

 

Suppressing a relieved sigh, Rey hid behind one of the trees, raking her eyes across the pale expanse of skin. She took in his wide shoulders, the firm muscles and thick waist, imagining what it would be like to wrap her legs around him as he claimed her with one smooth thrust.

 

Entranced, she watched as he removed his boots, turning around to place them next to his folded tunic. Her eyes now roamed over his exposed chest, taking in every muscle and scar which marked him as a warrior in truth. He was big, and strong, and she wanted him to be hers with every ounce of her being.

 

Clenching her thighs, Rey watched as his hands inched closer to the buckle which held the kilt together. Cheeks flushed with anticipation, she observed Ben undo the buckle, and her mouth parted as soon as the blue tartan came slack.

 

As the kilt hit the ground, Rey’s breath hitched.

 

He stood before her as naked as the day he was born. Wetting her lips, she focused on the area below his waist, the part of him that, in this moment, she longed for the most. He was hard and large all over, and his manhood was no exception jutting out in a way that Rey, in her inexperience, could only describe as enticing.

 

A strange sensation bloomed between her legs, and her core throbbed with almost unbearable need. As Ben neatly folded his tartan, Rey sneaked a hand underneath her chemise and touched herself, gasping softly when her fingers brushed against her core.

 

She was wet, so much so that the same fingers were instantly coated with her slick. When she moved them, another sound escaped her lips, a moan so loud it made her husband look up.

 

Clamping her free hand over her mouth, Rey watched as his eyebrows furrowed. He scanned his surroundings and, as his gaze wandered in her direction, Rey turned away, pressing her back against the large tree which shielded her.

 

Praying he couldn’t find her.

 

Normally, such uneasiness would have stopped the growing arousal she felt in that moment. However, the possibility of being caught by her husband in such a compromising position did not lessen the fluttering sensation between her legs at all. If anything, the anticipation seemed to heighten it, and a new wave of moisture pooled at the apex of her thighs.

 

Closing her eyes, Rey allowed herself to enjoy this novel feeling, and a part of her wished for Ben to catch her looking at him in the nude, a hand brushing against her core as he undressed.

 

She wondered if, when faced with such an obscene image, he would forgo all propriety and claim her.

 

A low groan caused Rey to open her eyes and, looking out from behind the tree, her gaze widened at the sight which lay before her.

 

Her husband was touching himself, pumping his manhood with his right hand.

 

His eyes were closed in deep concentration, yet his hand still moved. Another groan followed, and even with his gaze hidden away from her, Rey could tell that the act was pleasurable.

 

Instinctively, her own hand moved, and she rubbed her core with her fingers anew, moaning softly.

 

As Rey pleasured herself alongside her husband, the wind intensified, carrying over his moans to her ears, amplifying her own arousal even further. The thought that he was only a few steps away from her, unaware of what his body had awakened in her spurred Rey on, and with each touch she became more attuned to her own body and more familiar with its needs.

 

All the while, she watched as Ben continued to stroke himself, his own movements quickening as he progressed in a frenzied yet mesmerizing rhythm. His eyes were still closed, yet his brow was furrowed in deep concentration.

 

Soon enough, he peaked, throwing his head back as he groaned, ropes of spend shooting out on the hard ground.

 

“Rey,” he moaned afterwards, his voice so low and primal it sent a pleasurable jolt through her entire frame.

 

It did not take long for her to peak as well, a silent scream covered by swaying branches and rustling leaves. Her ears rang with the sound of her name on his lips, and tears pricked at the corners or her eyes from the intensity of her climax.

 

Spent, she leaned against the tree, vaguely registering the sound of splashing water. As Ben washed himself, she took a deep breath to calm her fluttering heartbeat, knowing full well she had to muster the will to walk back to their small camp as if nothing had ever happened.

 

Closing her eyes, she registered the sounds carried by a wind that was now decreasing in intensity, as if to mirror Rey’s own return to her body – like a bird who, moments ago, had soared above the highest mountain.

 

If this was how she had felt by herself, she could only imagine the intensity she would experience once Ben claimed her, in the intimacy of their own home and the comfort of their marriage bed.

 

Her face broke up in a knowing smile at the thought, and, she would have indulged in her musings longer had it not been for her surroundings.

 

Dimly, she heard the splashing sounds cease, a clear sign that her dreams would have to wait another day. With a sigh, Rey steadied herself and rushed back to camp.

 

 

~*~

 

 

He returned to her after a few seconds, the tips of his dark hair wet from the bath.

 

As Rey observed Ben’s appearance, she could not help the deep blush that spread across her cheeks. Completely unprepared for such a quick arrival, her eyes lowered in search of something to keep her busy.

 

“Are you unwell?” he asked, concern evident in his voice.

 

“I-I’m fine,” she murmured.

 

Sitting down on their cot, she adjusted her chemise in an effort to appear unbothered. However, the thought of Ben’s strong and muscular body – and the blissful sight of her husband pleasuring himself – was still etched in her mind.

 

As was her own reckless response.

 

He sat next to her, a ghost of a smile etched on his handsome face. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed, sweet Rey.”

 

Eyebrows furrowed, she looked up. “I don’t understand.”

 

Ben chuckled, “I know you saw me.”

 

Her jaw went slack, and she could feel her skin warm up. It was, Rey knew, impossible to disguise the surprise now, but she still averted her eyes, not quite knowing what to say in response.

 

“You shouldn’t be embarrassed,” she heard him say in that soft voice of his that melted away all her insecurities.

 

Biting her lower lip, she fixed her gaze on his face at last, examining his features – his impossibly luscious lips, the moles that dotted his pale skin, his proud and unflinching gaze.

 

“Did you like what you saw?” he spoke again, but there was no teasing in his words. Instead, his voice seemed to challenge her, to encourage her to speak her mind.

 

“I did.” The words came easily to her lips and she said them with certainty, despite the blush which spread across her cheeks and deepened. “I liked it most when you said my name. That the thought of me brought you so much pleasure.”

 

His right hand went up to cup her cheek, and, instinctively, she moved closer to him, so close she was almost sitting his lap. “I liked hearing you pleasure yourself too, my love.”

 

Brushing her legs against his, she whispered, “You did?”

 

“You thought I wouldn’t hear you?” he chuckled and pulled her into his lap, resting his hands on her hips. Through his kilt, she could feel his arousal harden, and her own core clenched in response.

 

For a moment, she entertained the dream that he would claim her here at last. But, a small part of her, the part that always seemed to doubt everything was hesitant and fearful. What if he rejected her advances? What if he wanted to wait?

 

What if…she could take everything slowly? Tread small steps until she reached her goal.

 

Wetting her lips, Rey locked eyes with her husband. “I’ve never done anything like that before,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I liked it. I liked watching you, and I liked pleasuring myself as I did so.”

 

Taking a deep breath, she spoke up. “What you did…I want to do for you.” She watched as his gaze deepened. “May I?”

 

Waiting for his reply seemed to last an eternity. As she worried her lip with her teeth, Rey could only take in his features, watch as his gaze widened when her request had finally sunk in.

 

When he nodded, she exhaled in relief.

 

“Come,” she said, pushing him down on their makeshift bed. “Let me touch you.”

 

Ben allowed her free reign, and Rey wasted no time in undressing him until he stood before her as bare as he had been on the loch’s shore, proud and powerful. His arousal jutted out once more, ready for her to lay claim.

 

Up close, he seemed even bigger than before, his muscles still as firm, his arms strong and his chest wide. The hard length of him made her mouth water, so large she was certain her fingers couldn’t wrap around it no matter how much she tried. Smiling, Rey settled down beside him, watching as his breathing became more uneven.

 

“Are you just as nervous as I am?” she asked, cupping his cheek with her left hand, drawing circles on his skin with her thumb. “Don’t be afraid. I feel it too.”

 

She went up and kissed his lips then, slow and teasing, trying out everything she had learned thus far from the moments they had shared up until now. Her tongue darted out to taste him, and he allowed her entrance, moaning as she slipped inside.  

 

As they kissed, she rolled on top of him, straddling him with her thighs. All the while, her hands roamed across his body, caressing his broad chest, taking pleasure as his breath hitched when her fingers brushed against his nipples.

 

Soon enough, they parted for breath, and her eager mouth followed the movements of her hands. She trailed kisses across his broad shoulders, inching downwards until she reached his chest and lavished it with just as much attention. From time to time, she would glance up to look at her husband, smiling against his skin as she glimpsed his aroused expression, his dark gaze and his lush lips.

 

His moans encouraged Rey even further, so she moved downwards, marking his chest with kisses and love bites, grazing his skin with her teeth. It seemed that, whatever she did he enjoyed, and the possibility that he would allow her to move even further took hold. She’d glimpsed the act once, by accident, on her way to wash some old rags by the river bordering the village she’d once called home.

 

The sight had been mesmerizing, and the thought that her mouth could bring her husband so much pleasure caused a wave of moisture to pool between her thighs.

 

Looking up, Rey met his stare once more. “I want you in my mouth,” she said in a low voice, though she knew well nobody else was around to witness her desire.

 

She saw his gaze widen with surprise, then deepen with understanding.

 

“A-are you sure?” he asked her, in a tone that was could not disguise his disbelief.

 

She moved downwards, positioning herself so that her face rested mere inches away from his hard arousal. With a smile, she brushed her fingers against his thick length, listening as Ben let out a strangled groan.

 

“Yes,” she replied at last, looking up to see his features sing with pleasure. “If you want to. If you can teach me.”

 

He wet his lips. “What do you want to learn?”

 

Her fingers touched his arousal once more. “ _Everything_.”

 

Letting out another groan, Ben nodded, and Rey did not hesitate to wrap her hand around his thick length. As she suspected, her fingers could not close around it, and her lower belly fluttered with excitement at the thought that, soon enough, he would bury himself inside her snug entrance and claim her.

 

However, she would wait. She would wait for them to arrive safely in their home and bask in the beauty of the present moment. She would acquaint herself with his body as she wished, learn to pleasure him as well as he had done so for himself.

 

Her hand moved up and down his shaft, slowly at first, taking note of the way his gaze became more and more unfocused.

 

“Do you like it?” she asked, her lips curling up in a satisfied smile. “Do I please you?”

 

“Yes,” he moaned as she increased her speed, pumping him up and down with her hand as she’d seen him do before.

 

She was a quick learner, that much she knew, and the thought encouraged her to continue. When Ben’s moaning intensified, she lowered her lips and kissed the tip of his arousal, tasting him with her tongue.

 

“You’re so good to me,” he murmured.

 

The words only emboldened her, so she continued kissing his shaft, loving him with his tongue as best she could. She moved downwards until he reached the base, then made her way back to the tip slowly, using her tongue as she did so.

 

At some point, she felt s one of his hands brush against her nape. Then, when his long fingers sank in her hair gently, she knew for certain that Ben had no words left to guide her, just his movements and the sounds of his uneven breath.

 

Nonetheless, he taught her well, and she glanced up to see that his eyes had closed, fully absorbed in the pleasure she was giving him.

 

After a few moments, he peaked, ropes of spend jutting out once more. But, this time, Rey was here to receive this gift, using her mouth to take in everything he had to offer. Her heart sang as she watched him unravel before her, and, when it was all done, they locked eyes once more, a deeper understanding settling over them like a shroud.  

 

 _Please me_ , the thought echoed in her mind, her mouth unable to move and articulate the words she so desperately wanted to say.

 

 _Please me_.

 

 

~*~

 

 

He did just that.

 

With a smile, he pulled her up and rolled on top of her, letting his fingers brush against the hem of her chemise.

 

“Let me taste you,” he said in a hoarse voice, as if what they had shared moments ago had almost robbed him of speech. “ _Please_.”

 

She looked to the heavens, relieved to see that the cloud of darkness was now starting to gather over them, knowing that he would not see her as she truly was.

 

Brushing those thoughts aside, she looked at his expecting face and nodded, biting her lower lip as she did so.

 

Wordlessly, he unbuttoned her chemise as if she were a precious gift, his fingers so large and strong in comparison to the flimsy material that covered her. Then, when it was all undone, she heard his breath hitch as he took in her appearance.

 

His eyes moved downwards, settling at first on her small breasts, then her flat belly, and finally on the thatch of hair between her legs.

 

“Do I please you?” she asked, setting aside the chemise and quickly pressing her back against the mattress, lest he ask her to turn around.

 

“Oh, sweet Rey,” he whispered, brushing his fingers across her jawline, tilting up her head so she could look into his eyes. “Surely you must know how much you do to me.”

 

“Show me,” she said, taking his hand and settling it over her left breast, her heart pounding in her chest from the anticipation. “Please.”

 

He needed no further entreaties.

 

Bending down, he captured her lips with his own, his hand gently squeezing the breast she had offered him. Moaning against his mouth, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close to her so that she could feel his groin pressed against her body. She parted her legs, welcoming him in between her thighs, though she knew well he would wait until he made her his wife in truth.

 

Nonetheless, she basked in the present moment, allowing her arms to roam freely across his back as he lavished her with kisses. She did not hesitate, raking her short nails against his skin, as he groaned with pleasure.

 

He moved downward as she had done before, trailing kisses across her chest, lavishing her nipples with his mouth and clever tongue. As he grazed the peaks with his teeth, her back arched against his, and her moans intensified, urging him to continue.

 

All the while, his hands moved lower, his left settling on her hip. His right hand however, slid in between their heated bodies, and Rey gasped when he brushed his fingers against the thatch of curls that covered her mound.

 

“Ben,” she moaned, parting her legs further in encouragement.

 

She was wet, that much she knew. The act of loving her husband with her mouth had caused a considerable amount of moisture to pool at the apex of her thighs, making Ben’s subsequent movements seem easier to her mind. He stroked her with his hand, parting her folds until he circled her entrance with his index finger.

 

She cried out, rubbing herself against him for more.

 

“You’re so tight,” he groaned, but she could sense that it was not a complaint. The tone of his voice betrayed a sense of excitement.

 

He tested her tight entrance with his finger, barely sinking the tip of it inside her. Her hips bucked, a wave of pleasure coursing through her at the intrusion.

 

“I’ll have to prepare you,” he told her in a soft voice, lowering his face until his lips were inches away from her mound.

 

“Yes, please,” she said, gasping as he continued to push his finger inside her. “I want you.”

 

“You do?” he teased her, his breath caressing her core, making her opening clench against his finger until he slipped it inside her fully.

 

She could only moan in response, allowing him to stretch her, to prepare her for what she knew would come. Even if she had to wait, she was more than willing if it involved such delicious torment.

 

And, oh, how he tormented her.

 

When his lips brushed against her core, Rey cried out again, bucking her hips once more in search of his touch. He rewarded her, as she knew he would, tasting her with his mouth, feasting on her as if he were a starving man in search of sustenance.

 

“We could stay like this forever,” he spoke up in between his open-mouthed kisses, pausing for a few brief moments to look up into her eyes.

 

Her gaze was unfocused, and her thoughts were too scattered from the pleasure coursing through her veins to think of anything other than the present, and the incredible sensations he awakened inside her: the fluttering in her lower belly, the way her tight entrance clenched around his long finger, the now familiar feeling of inching closer and closer to the summit.

 

“I can’t think of anything better than this,” he continued, curling up his finger until she let out a loud moan.

 

She couldn’t either, that much was clear at present, so she basked in the way he moved his finger inside her, touching the spot that made her toes curl again and again. His mouth soon resumed its pleasurable activity, lapping at her core with the eagerness she loved, making her soar.

 

When she peaked at last, she cried out, her moans carried by the wind into the night sky. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, the impact of her release so raw and powerful it stunned Rey to the core.

 

She knew, of course, that her husband would bring her pleasure, that he would delight and entice her until she was certain her heart would burst into a million fragments. But even those thoughts were not enough to prepare her for this reality, for the myriad of sensations Ben had elicited from her, for the intimacy shared with a man she cherished with every fiber of her being.

 

Panting, she looked up at the stars, the small guardians which shone so bright above them all, grateful that in a world that seemed so large and overwhelming, she had found the one person who could unravel and make her whole once more.

 

“Are you well?” she heard Ben ask, gasping as his finger slid out from inside her tight entrance.

 

She looked down, thankful that the stars above were enough to glimpse the outline of his powerful frame as he moved to lie down beside her.

 

“Yes,” she murmured, burrowing closer until she nuzzled his chest, taking in his manly scent and gentle heartbeat. No words could describe how content she felt in that moment, nestled by her husband’s side after the satisfaction she had provided and received with equal enthusiasm.

 

Wrapping his arms around her smaller figure, he bent town to kiss her forehead. “Do I please you, sweet Rey?”

 

“Yes,” she said again, her voice clear and proud. “Never doubt it.”

 

\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this update was worth the wait. If you enjoyed the chapter, please don't hesitate to leave a comment and kudos.


	6. A Startling Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Huddling together by the fire, she allowed her husband to wrap blankets around her lithe frame, to press small kisses at her temple, to cup her jaw with his large fingers and draw circles across her skin with his thumb.
> 
> In her own way, she kept him warm as well, her breath fanning across his face as she kissed his cheeks, lips brushing against each mole. Her hands reached out to rest on his chest, fingers splayed against his heartbeat.
> 
> “It beats for you,” Ben whispered in her ear, his nose brushing against the lobe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yey! An update! Thank you so much for the lovely comments! Your encouragement means so much! I hope the wait for this chapter was worth it! Special thank you to @loveofescapism for beta-ing and to @albastargazer for all the caber and tartan research.

-

 

Rain fell the following day.

 

It came with large drops, pelting untrodden paths and patches of bright green grass which rose from beneath the wet ground. It came with heavy winds slapping against clusters of tall trees, making the branches sway menacingly as they rode along the muddy road, hindering their journey home.

 

 _Home_.

 

It was a word Rey often dreamed of, but she had never truly experienced what it meant until now. Until the moment she had met her mysterious husband, until she first felt the warmth of his embrace and the tenderness of his touch – the soothing words and gestures that had carved a place into her very soul.

 

They quickly sought refuge in a cave, the horse galloping along a narrow path framed by trees heavy with leaves and rain, guided by Ben until they reached their destination. Helping her down, they both made their way inside after securing Chewie’s harness at the entrance.

 

In only a few minutes, Ben started a small fire with whatever dry branches he could find, letting her rummage through their supplies for something to dry themselves with. Once the task was complete, Rey found herself in his embrace anew, her dry yet shivering body still in need of added warmth.

 

Huddling together by the fire, she allowed her husband to wrap blankets around her lithe frame, to press small kisses at her temple, to cup her jaw with his large fingers and draw circles across her skin with his thumb.

 

In her own way, she kept him warm as well, her breath fanning across his face as she kissed his cheeks, lips brushing against each mole. Her hands reached out to rest on his chest, fingers splayed against his heartbeat.

 

“It beats for you,” Ben whispered in her ear, his nose brushing against the lobe.

 

A pleasurable shiver coursed through Rey’s spine. The hairs at the back of her neck stood up, but the cold was not to blame. A warm blush bloomed across her cheeks, and the flush spread, coursing through her veins like fire, bathing her in heat until the blankets dropped below her shoulders. Slick pooled between her legs, and she rubbed her thighs together in response, trying to find some much needed relief.

 

She had become a bundle of nerves in search of relief, so she fumbled with Ben’s tunic, driven by a primal and ancient need only he could meet.

 

And he met it well.

 

His soft kisses moved from her jawline to her mouth, his tongue darting out to taste her is if he were touching her lips for the first time. Her arms wrapped around him them, pulling him close to her until they rested on the blankets he had covered her in before – all but forgotten under the heat of his embrace, having dropped onto the ground the moment her body responded to his heartfelt confession.

 

She lay down on the blankets, watching as Ben settled himself between her legs, lifting her skirts until her slightly bended knees were exposed. With each lower layer he removed, the cold seemed to vanish – it was as if the warmth of his gaze had turned her skin into a furnace, and the weight of her clothes had become almost too much to bear.

 

Careful not to lift her back from the ground, Rey unlaced her bodice from the front, thankful for the practicality of the dress he had gifted her. She bared her breasts to him, small and yearning to be touched, the dusty pink nipples pebbling in the cool air. With a smile, she watched as his eyes darkened, visibly mesmerized by the sight. It did not take long for his hand to cup one of her breasts, the one closest to her pounding heart, as if testing its weight and the softness of the skin against his rough palm.

 

When he brushed his thumb over the nipple she gasped, a million pleasurable tendrils coursing through her veins. Her back arched, yearning for more, just as her fingers fisted the blankets beneath her frame.

 

“Please,” she murmured. Her voice echoed through the empty cave in search of relief, gentle but yearning.

 

It did not take long for Ben to respond. His mouth covered her nipple, tongue darting out to taste her as she moaned. Closing her eyes, she took in the exquisite feeling of his mouth against her skin, her breath hitching whenever his teeth grazed her sensitive peaks.

 

Meanwhile, his other hand wandered south, slipping under the lower layers he had removed, the tips of his fingers brushing against her inner thigh, teasing her until her moans intensified with the need to be pleasured further.

 

“Ben,” she called out, her tone much closer to a whine, yet there was no embarrassment behind her need for relief. Instead, her body ached to be stimulated further, to take as much of him as she could, to see how high she could soar with his thick fingers inside her tight opening.

 

Parting her folds with his forefinger, he traced the lips, coating himself with her arousal, spreading it on her swollen flesh. Eyelids fluttering open, she let out another moan in response, the anticipation increasing her desire even further.

 

His mouth left her breast, placing a small kiss on the hardened nipple before looking up and into her eyes. “You have no idea what you do to me,” he said, his voice gruff and etched with pride. “Not even my dreams could ever be this sweet.”

 

She could only cry out in response, sensing as Ben’s finger circled her snug entrance which yearned to be filled.

 

“I want to see how much you can take,” he asked again, the tip of his finger teasing the opening, spreading her slick. “Before…”

 

“I won’t break,” she replied, her gaze unwavering.

 

The memory of her husband’s naked body by the loch was still etched in her mind, and a new wave of arousal spread through her figure as she recalled the way he had taken himself in hand, his large length jutting out proudly. She wanted him to fill her up, to bury himself inside her to the hilt and stretch her tight entrance until he spilled his seed inside her. To peak alongside her as he dug his fingers into her hips. But, at the back of her mind, rested the knowledge that she needed to be prepared if she wished for him to do so.

 

“I want you, Ben,” she said again, her tone filled with certainty. “You have nothing to fear.”

 

It was all the encouragement he needed. His finger slipped inside her snug entrance, stretching her anew. This time, she accommodated to the girth much faster, moaning as he curled the digit inside her and found her most sensitive spot.

 

“More,” she breathed, gasping as he coaxed another moan from her body. Heat pooled again at the apex of her thighs, and he used his hand to coat her mound with her essence, to make his entrance easier.

 

Soon enough, he slipped a second finger inside her, the tight passage stretching further and further, his careful touch vanquishing any signs of discomfort. All she could sense was pleasure, and a sudden swell of pride that she could take him so easily now. He slipped his fingers in and out of her, coaxing more moans out of her parted lips, now that he knew full well how she wanted to be touched.

 

Meanwhile, his mouth journeyed lower, trailing kisses down the heated skin she had exposed when she removed her bodice. As he moved, Rey’s mind quickly registered his intent, and her opening fluttered around his fingers in anticipation for his next gesture.

 

His mouth on her core was a blessing, his tongue toying with her folds, parting them so he could taste her fully and without any reservations. Somehow, in between his kisses, he had slipped a third finger inside her, stretching her even further until she was certain she would burst into a million different pieces from the sheer pleasure of being so full.

 

“Ben,” she moaned, one of her hands reaching up to caress his hair, fingertips raking through his locks in an effort to show him she could take this. To show him how much she wanted this. “Faster.”

 

He lapped at her again, his tongue never ceasing to taste her, his fingers pumping inside her snug entrance at a steady rhythm, increasing the intensity of her moans. With each movement inside her stretched opening, Ben touched her most sensitive spot, sending her closer and closer to the edge.

 

She came with a loud and blissful cry, her core fluttering against his fingers, her legs trembling with the strength of her release. Overwhelmed by the force of her response, tears welled in Rey’s eyes, tears of sheer joy that she had taken him so well, that he had listened to her needs and refused to treat her like a fragile flower.

 

“I love you,” she breathed out, gasping as he milked the last remnants of her release with his mouth and fingers before withdrawing from her mound, his plump lips moist with her slick.

 

Through her hazy vision, she watched as he looked up and brushed her tears away with his fingers. He leaned over her, using his arms for support to look into her eyes. His gaze was just as gentle as it had always been, yet beneath those tender brown pools rested a certainty that made her cheeks flush with unspoken awareness.

 

He did not have to say it now, she knew that well, but nonetheless, as Ben’s lips parted, her mouth curled up in a knowing smile. Pressing his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes and she followed suit, as if their minds had somehow been linked.

 

“I love you too,” Ben said at last, his confession as soothing as the sunrays which now peeked out from the heavy clouds.

 

The storm had ended.

 

 

~*~

 

 

He braided her hair before they left.

 

At first, Ben’s request had surprised her – not only because she had been unused to such kindness, but also because it was so unusual for a man to learn something which she’d always believed required a feminine touch.

 

But, as Rey recalled how fondly he had spoken of his mother and how deeply involved she had been in Ben’s upbringing, she realized that she should not have been surprised that her husband would be so adept at such a task.

 

She had no mirror to observe the entire process, but as his hands moved, Rey could sense the braid was far more complicated than anything she had ever attempted before. Her life had, up until this moment, been ruled by practicality and the need to survive, free time was a luxury she could not waste on making herself presentable or satisfied.

 

But, she pondered as Ben carded a hand through her hair, she now had the distinct feeling that her habits would greatly change from now on.

 

Briefly, she wondered how long it would take for her to learn such a skill, and her mind instantly conjured an image of herself standing by a fireplace, watching as her husband taught her how to braid their daughter’s hair – windswept dark tresses which resembled her father’s, hazel eyes which resembled Rey’s own. The perfect mixture of them both. Something wonderful and perfect they had created together. The first daughter of many. The first daughter among the sons they would raise as Ben’s mother had done before.

 

“My mother taught me how to braid her hair,” Ben said as he added the finishing touches to her brown locks, making sure the braid would not come undone during their journey.

 

A good-natured chuckle left her lips as she pictured her husband as a young boy, a strapping warrior who somehow had time for sword fights and hair-braiding. The image itself seemed almost too perfect to be true, yet here he was, standing behind her in the flesh – the same man who had killed a terrifying beast and treated her afterwards with a tenderness she could only have dreamt of.

 

“You spoil me,” she said at last. “If you continue to braid my hair and give me gifts every day, I might get too used to them.”

 

He moved around to stand in front of her, tilting his head as he looked into her eyes. “You should get used to them from now on, sweet Rey,” he said. “This is merely the beginning of our life together.”

 

As he spoke, his voice bore no trace of harshness. Instead, he talked as if this were a matter of fact, as if spoiling her like a noble lady was something natural and expected.

 

She did not know how to reply to that.

 

“I have one last gift for you before we arrive,” he continued, heading in Chewie’s direction.

 

She watched as he rummaged through one of the bags, his long arms digging through the supplies until he reached the very bottom. He pulled out a bundle of fabric that matched his own tartan, the same hues of blue and patterns which identified him as belonging to the Skywalker clan.

 

Walking towards her, his gaze never left her face, and her cheeks flushed with anticipation at what he was about to do. Standing only a few inches away from her, Ben unveiled his gift at last, and her breath hitched as she beheld the long blue tartan.

 

It was an earasaid, a belted plaid that was traditional in their land, but something that she’d never had the opportunity to wear because of the hardships she’d been subjected to. Until recently, her clothes had been threadbare, and her shoes mere days away from falling apart, but now she stood a changed woman both inside and out. As her right hand darted out to caress the fine fabric, it sunk in just how much her circumstances had changed, and the tartan displayed before her served as an official proof that she finally had a home.

 

A place where she belonged.

 

As she looked up at her husband, Rey’s eyes welled with tears at the significance of his gift.

 

“Don’t cry, sweet Rey,” he said, brushing her tears away with his thumb, taking care not to let the precious tartan brush against the soiled ground.

 

“They are tears of joy, my love,” she replied, lips curling up into a smile. “You make me so happy. All my life I lived in fear…alone. I had lost all hope that I would ever find a home, a place I could belong...until you.”

 

In response, he placed a kiss on the crown of her head, one hand reaching out to rest on her waist in a soothing gesture. “You have a home now,” he replied, his voice trembling with unspoken emotion. “Never doubt it.”

 

She nodded, letting her hand journey across the smooth fabric.

 

“I have a house, but it is just bricks and stone.” He placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. “With you, I hope to make a home out of it. To fill it with joy and laughter. And love.” His lips captured her own. “Fear will be nothing but a stranger to you from this day on, sweet Rey. I promise you. You will never be lonely.”

 

An errant tear of joy escaped its confines, and her lips went up in a smile. “I believe you, Ben,” she replied, her hand covering his own through the blue tartan. “You are not alone, either.”

 

He smiled in return, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he did, the depths of his gaze filled with gentleness and faith. “Let me dress you,” he said, and she nodded, thrilled by the consideration he had shown her, the sheer love and respect which poured out of him with every word and gesture.

 

Soon enough, Ben draped the earasaid across her body, pinning it to her left shoulder with a brooch. When it was done, he stepped back to admire her, taking her hands and bringing them to his lips for a kiss. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at the new item which held the plaid together. It was a silver circle decorated with Celtic knots at the edge and a stunning blue gem placed right in the middle, one that gleamed in the sunrays which slithered through the cave entrance, bathing her face in warmth.

 

He tugged at her hands. “Come,” he murmured before she could ask where he had procured such a valuable item, his voice betraying his impatience to reach their destination.

 

Brushing her question aside, Rey instantly recalled the blissful moments they had shared inside the cave. A dusty rose blush bloomed across her face as she realized that the sooner they arrived the better. In next to no time, they would consummate their marriage as she had wished from the moment she’d married him inside the village church, too nervous and delighted to listen to most of the ceremony.

 

They rode for hours across the countryside, passing by clusters of trees which became rarer and rarer the longer they went. In the distance, Rey gleamed a few settlements here and there, small stone houses with thatched roofs and roaring chimneys. They never stopped at any of them, riding further and further north across the muddy road bordered by grass and wildflowers. On their way, Rey spotted discarded cabers littering the field, haphazardly left on the wet ground by those who had sought shelter from the storm.

 

A short ride away from the last batch of cabers they reached a river, its water murky from the rain. The swelling river flowed mercilessly across the plain, threatening all who dared to cross it. As she observed the fast currents, Rey turned around to look at her husband, surprised by the understanding which had settled in his gaze.

 

“You can’t swim,” he said, but his voice bore no censure, much to her relief.

 

She looked down at her hands, noticing how one of them had subconsciously gripped his thigh. Still, she held on, secretly basking in the glorious feel of his firm muscles.

 

He gave her a slow and lingering kiss. “You could never disappoint me, Rey,” Ben told her, as if he had been able to sense her initial thoughts.

 

Stopping by the river bank, Ben dismounted their horse and handed her the rains, his gaze steady. Gripping the leather, she guided Chewie to turn around, so that she could observe Ben’s progress unhindered. With a proud smile, she watched him walk towards a cluster of discarded cabers, picking the nearest one up as if he’d done so a hundred times before.

 

And, as he expertly balanced the caber’s weight against his shoulder, she realized he very much had. His muscles bulged as he moved, dropping his large palms under the heavy caber with practiced ease, all strength and sinew. The apples of her cheeks flushed at the memory of what those big hands had done not that long ago, how deftly he had moved his fingers in and out of her tight entrance, coaxing moans every time he touched the spot that made her toes curl.

 

Now, she admired those hands again, marveling at how he could be gentle in one moment and powerful in the next, taking in the delectable contradictions that made her inexorably drawn to him.

 

Wetting her lips, Rey watched as he ran towards the bank, gathering enough momentum until he planted his feet on the ground and flipped the caber at the exact angle. The long wood pole fell over in a straight line, a makeshift bridge across the swelling river, tossed in a stunning display of strength.

 

If she could, she would have dismounted and hurled herself in his arms, showering his face with kisses, running her hands across his powerful arms, his wide chest, his firm thighs. Her core pulsated once more with the need to touch him as she had done on the evening she took him in her mouth, to have him caress her anew and bring her pleasure with his sinful lips and deft fingers. But her husband was faster, heading towards her until she found herself in his arms, hoisted off the horse as if she weighed as light as a feather.

 

And, compared to the caber he had just tossed over the river to continue their journey, she imagined she was. His lips slanted over her own, kissing her as if he’d gone for years without the pleasure of her caress. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, toying with the tips of his inky hair, moaning against his mouth when he deepened the kiss and tasted her.

 

When it was over, he released her, gently depositing her feet on the ground, his fingers digging into her belted plaid.

 

“If watching you toss a caber affects me so, dear husband, I cannot imagine how I will be on our wedding night,” she confessed, pressing her body against his until she felt his hardness against her lower belly.

 

She rubbed herself against him, smiling as he let out a gruff exhale. “Let me take care of you,” she said, her hand travelling lower until it brushed against his bulge.

 

“Tonight,” Ben promised, bringing her wandering hands to his lips instead and kissing each knuckle. “We are not that far off from my home, sweet Rey. I will be yours then.”

 

 _Hers_.

 

Her heart pounded as the significance of the words sunk in, and the sheer delight that soon enough he would share his bed with her was enough to make Rey acquiesce. Indeed, the faster they went, the sooner he would be in her arms again, no longer separated by heavy layers of clothes and what she suspected was his desire to consummate their union under the comfort of his roof.

 

With a smile, she nodded, listening as he explained how they would cross the river to the other side. Soon enough, she clutched their supplies in her hands, lighter than on the day they had departed her village to begin a new life. They crossed the makeshift bridge one at the time, taking care not to fall down in the perilous river.

 

However, when it was time for her to cross with the last bag, he stopped her, his hand brushing gently against her left elbow.

 

Turning around, she watched as he removed his sporran, the leather pouch dwarfed by the sheer size of his hands. He handed the item to her, placing it in her palms. “Keep this safe for me, sweet Rey,” he told her, letting her finger close around it. “It holds a valuable treasure inside.”

 

She looked down at the sporran, puzzled by how such an innocuous object could hide what she inferred to be considerable wealth. “What does it hold?”

 

A small chuckle left his lips, and he tilted her chin up to look into his eyes, those brown orbs filled with kindness. “Your token, darling lass.”

 

Lips parted, Rey took in the straightforward confession, her thoughts immediately journeying to the moment she had given him her lock of hair, neatly tied with a piece of red string. “You kept it?”

 

Ben tilted his head, the expression on his face baring his surprise. She could plainly see that he had not expected the question at all.

 

“Of course, I have,” he replied, brushing his thumb along her jawline, fingers toying with her exposed earlobe. “You gave it to me for my protection.” He paused, gaze unwavering as she recalled the words she had uttered when they first met.

 

 _For good luck_.

 

“So, it has served you well then,” she concluded, a knowing smile etched on her face.

 

“And it will continue to do so, if you can keep it safe.” He pecked her lips. “I should hate to lose it while guiding our horse through the river.”

 

“I could give you another token,” she suggested with a teasing tone. “I can tie another piece of red string around it and you will never know the difference.”

 

Ben shook his head. “I have grown very fond of this one, sweet lass,” he murmured, his low voice sending a rush of pleasure coursing through her veins. “You promised yourself to me on that day, remember?”

 

She nodded, recalling how he’d asked her if she’d been promised to another, remembering the surge of newfound determination imprinted in his gaze when she’d revealed she hadn’t.

 

The strength of his desire had swept over her like a wave, bathing her in moisture which pooled at the apex of her thighs.

 

“I will keep it safe for you, Ben,” she said, bringing the leather pouch to her chest. “I promise.”

 

Going on her tiptoes, she pressed her lips against his in reassurance, her smile widening as she turned around to cross the river, taking careful steps on the wooden pole he’d tossed so well to make her task easier.

 

Once she was over, she observed as Ben grabbed Chewie’s reins, gently guiding the horse to cross the river.

 

The currents were strong, but her husband was far more powerful than even nature itself, easily crossing the river with his mighty steed. Water slapped against his kilt and tunic, giving her a glimpse of his imposing frame as he emerged from the stream like a deity would from the depths of the ocean. She would have spent longer admiring his wide shoulders and muscular thighs, but practicality prevailed, so she rummaged through one of the bags she’d brought with her to find him a change of clothes.

 

“We have to get these clothes off you,” she said, padding over to him with a new tunic and kilt in her hands. “You can catch a cold in this weather.”

 

Ben gave her a knowing smile. She knew well that a true highlander would never shy away from bathing in a cold stream, but her heart leapt with joy that he indulged her anyway, releasing Chewie’s reins.

 

“I am certain that my health is at the forefront of your mind,” he teased, allowing her to remove his wet clothes with ease.

 

Rey shot him a cheeky look. “I cannot claim my husband if he’s in bed with a fever, can I?”

 

“We are a mere hour away from my home,” he replied as she unfastened his kilt.    

 

 

Her hands worked like the wind as he laughed.

   

 

 

~*~

 

 

The trees grew scarcer in the brief hour they spent riding. The harsh wind slapped against Rey’s skin, but the braid her husband had done for her kept her hair in place. The sun had not yet set on the horizon, and she was thankful that, despite the storm, they would make it to Ben’s house in time for supper.

 

“Is your mother at home?” she asked, leaning her back against his wide chest.

 

Despite her desire to consummate the marriage as quickly as possible, she still wanted to have a few moments to become acquainted with the woman who had brought the man she loved into the world, who had loved and educated him despite the protests of those who thought they knew how to raise him better.

 

“I believe she will have arrived to greet us,” came Ben’s reply. “The news of my victory and our marriage must have reached her by now. She always strives to be informed of what goes on in this land.”

 

He tilted her head, contemplating Ben’s interesting choice of words. It fascinated her how someone living a simple life in the far north could be so preoccupied with affairs in places as remote as hers.

 

“Are you nervous?” he asked her, one hand resting on her thigh while the other clutched Chewie’s reins.

 

Biting her lower lip, she looked at the horizon, glimpsing the first signs of life since they’d crossed the river, a cluster of stone cottages with roaring chimneys and thatched roofs enclosed by stone fences which housed a few grazing animals. In the distance, she could make out the imposing structure of a large keep, likely the residence of whoever was responsible for the livelihood of those who hailed from this place.

 

Like her husband. And his mother.

 

“I want her to like me,” she confessed.

 

She’d never had a family of her own, and the fear of rejection gripped her easily. Despite the new love she bore for Ben, the knowledge that she came from humble stock – that she’d only started to learn how to read and write the day before their arrival – lingered in her mind. The long hours spent travelling weighed heavily on her, intensifying her insecurities in these final moments.

 

“She will adore you,” Ben assured her in a gentle tone, but in her mind, his voice had dimmed, almost fully buried by the barrage of doubts which now washed over her like a menacing wave.

 

It was as if, in the couple of days they had spent travelling, she had lived in a fairytale, ensconced in a tower of their own making, sheltered from the censure of the world. But now, with the stone houses growing nearer and nearer and the presence of the large keep looming above them, reality sunk in.

 

People lived here. People who could judge her as harshly as the ones in her village had. People who could see that, beneath the new dress and the proud colors of her husband’s tartan, she was a mere serving girl with no accomplishments to call her own. With nothing but a token wrapped in red thread which sat nestled in her husband’s sporran.

 

Her throat constricted, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She lowered her gaze, thankful she was sitting in front of her husband, thankful he could not see her fears etched so clearly on her face.

 

In a cruel twist of fate, the settlement began to stir as if awakened from a century long slumber. One by one, the doors to each of the houses opened, and people poured out from the houses, young and old alike, faces etched with a mixture of curiosity and excitement. From the corner of her eye, she saw a group of women clap excitedly and, soon enough, the entire settlement had gathered around them, cheering and screaming with sheer delight.

 

Too stunned to move, Rey could not look behind her to see Ben’s reaction but, once the immediate shock had waned, she imagined the news of her husband’s victory had indeed travelled faster than they had, just as he had assured her. She could only look at the bright faces around them, men and women of varying ages united in a joy that was contagious.

 

 _How can they not be?_ she thought as Ben urged the horse on. _Her husband had arrived home a hero, proving to them all that he was worthy and strong, that their doubts were for naught._

 

They rode slowly through the main path of the settlement, passing the villagers one by one.

 

“Wave at them,” she heard Ben whisper in her ear and she did just that, overwhelmed by a surge of pride for what he had achieved.

 

Curiously enough, her gesture was met with enthusiastic response from the gathered crowd, particularly from the clusters of young children running along the edge of the path to keep up with the horse.   

 

She could not, for the life of her, imagine why they would be delighted to see _her_ , of all people, but Rey brushed the thought aside for now, figuring that she would ask Ben about it later, once they were safely ensconced in their small stone hut, wrapped in his tartan and sitting by the warmth of a roaring fire.

 

They rode on, approaching the imposing keep, which, in truth resembled a full-fledged now that Rey could glance upon it up close. It was a large three-story structure built of ashlar blocks, flanked by four rectangular towers and surrounded by walls so high she was certain no enemy host would ever dare lay siege to it. So captivated was she by the ancient stronghold that she failed to notice the drawbridge lower until it was too late, and seven men on horseback galloped in their direction.

 

With a simple gesture, Ben stopped the horse, and after a few seconds which seemed to have morphed into hours, the group of warriors stood in front of them with serious, but relieved expressions.

 

“Welcome back, Sir,” she heard one of them say, and the greeting was soon mirrored by the rest.

 

_Sir?_

 

She tilted her head in confusion, too hesitant to voice her question out loud.

 

Her husband took her right hand in his, fingers brushing against her knuckles, growing colder from the wind and her own fears threatening to burst anew. The cheering people and smiling children had tempered her doubts for only a few precious minutes, but the silence which had now descended upon them was deafening, and the hair on her nape prickled with the awareness that the initial excitement was fading and the eyes of the people who had cried out with delight now rested on her.

 

“Thank you,” she heard Ben say, his voice loud enough for all those who had gathered around them to hear.

 

The words betrayed a sense of pride, and she could only imagine how thrilled he must be at the thought that he had, at last, proven himself to those who had once doubted him.

 

“It gives me great joy,” Ben continued in the same tone, his large hand gently squeezing her own, “and great honor to introduce you all to my wife.”

 

He paused, letting the words sink in. Silence descended over them like a cloak, and, from the corner of her eyes, she could see the large crows gaze up at them with bated breath.

 

When Ben spoke again, her entire world shifted.

 

“The Much Honored Rey Solo, Lady Skywalker.”

 

At once, her vision blurred, shock raking through her body as she leaned forward.

 

She had not married a simple man who lived in a small stone house. An unassuming warrior with an unusual education and a determined mother.

 

She had married the laird.

 

The leader of his clan, the man who owned the very land they stood on and the castle which had loomed so menacingly in the distance upon their arrival.

 

 _Laird Skywalker_.

 

Her eyelids fluttered closed as she swayed once more in the wind, the world a shroud.

 

A pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist, holding her still as the mercy of oblivion staked its claim.

 

 

\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience! If you enjoyed this chapter, please do not hesitate to leave comments and kudos. One more chapter left of this story, now that our couple has finally arrived home! :)


	7. A Sacred Joining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashing her a concerned look, Ben rested his hands on top of hers, gently squeezing her fingers.
> 
> “It is all your fault,” she muttered as she lowered her eyes, intently focused on the motion of his thumb as he drew circles around her knuckles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's here. The final chapter! Thank you so much to everyone who supported this fic. I cherish every reader. Thank you as well to my lovely beta, LoveofEscapism.

 

 

When her eyelids fluttered open it was daylight.

 

The morning sun was almost blinding in its intensity and Rey rubbed her eyes in response. Barely able to stifle a yawn, she stretched like a cat, basking in the fresh smell of linen and the softness of a mattress so wide her hands never seemed to reach the edge.

 

At the last thought she paused, a wave of panic washing over her.

 

_ Where am  _ I, she thought to herself as her eyes adjusted to the light. With furrowed brows, she scanned the room, puzzled by her new surroundings.

 

The bed she rested on was undoubtedly imposing, so large she was certain four people could sleep in it with plenty of room to spare. The sheets and covers were white and soft, so much so that she felt as if she’d slumbered on a cloud floating above earth and sea. A miniature mountain of pillows had been placed under her head, keeping her almost upright, but not at all uncomfortable. She wore her chemise, matching the sheets in both color and comfort, no trace of her blue dress or her corset.

 

Or the tartan her husband had gifted her in what had seemed like centuries ago, when really it could have been…

 

_ Hours? Days? _ How long had she been asleep for?

 

Her head left the pillows and sitting down with the covers pooling under her waist, she examined her surroundings.

 

An imposing bed could only boast with a room that equaled it. The fireplace spread a soothing warmth throughout the chamber, a fire clearly stoked and nurtured even in the dead of night. The stone walls were covered in tapestries with intricate weaving, depicting scenes of spring and merriment – willowy figures dancing barefoot on fields of flowers as onlookers watched with goblets of wine raised in celebration. Furniture lay scattered across the carpeted floor, large chairs and tables and wardrobes with intricate woodwork embellishing the edges. The windows were wide, their size enhanced by small settees and the tall, blue curtains which framed them, drawn open to allow the sunlight to pour in.

 

And there, under one of the windows to her right, lay…

 

“Ben,” she mouthed the words, touched by the sight of her husband.

 

Sleeping on a settee too small to accommodate his broad frame, Ben furrowed his eyebrows as if their minds had been linked and he could tell she’d woken up. His eyelids fluttered open, long dark lashes fanning across his pale skin, and he shifted in the settee, his head dangerously close to the edge.

 

When he saw her at last, he sprung to his feet, a mountain of a man dressed in his tartan, still wearing his boots as if he were ready to go to war at any minute.

 

But his expression said otherwise – brows knitted in concern and eyes glimmering with affection.

 

“Rey,” he spoke, almost breathless, as he sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning forward to grasp her hands in his own. “Sweet, sweet, Rey.” Brining her hands to his lips, he kissed the knuckles. “Are you all right?”

 

The question, so small and innocent washed over her like a wave, bringing to shore scattered memories of the final moments before she’d lost all consciousness. 

 

The crowd of people cheering them on. The smiling children running after their horse. The magnificent stronghold and the seven warriors who had poured out of the keep on horseback.

 

The moment when Ben had uttered the words which changed her life forever.

 

_ The Much Honored Rey Solo, Lady Skywalker. _

 

“Who are you?” she cried out, seized by a sudden panic despite remembering it all now.

 

Eyebrows still furrowed, Ben tilted his head to the side in evident confusion. “I thought you knew who I was.”

 

Withdrawing her hands and letting them rest on her lap, Rey shook her head. “I didn’t know that I had married a laird,” she replied, her breath uneven. She willed herself to calm down, but her mind was spinning as she recalled the overwhelming crowd and their enthusiastic response.

 

“The priest said as much, Rey,” Ben spoke in response, his voice calm, “when he married us. He spoke our names. Don’t you remember?”

 

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Rey scoured her mind in search of the memories from their wedding ceremony. Their marriage had only taken place a few days ago, but it might as well have been weeks or months even. The journey to his home had felt longer than that, each moment occupied with getting to know the man who had married her, just as he’d dedicated himself to knowing her – physically and emotionally.

 

After a few moments of silence, she recalled bits of the ceremony – a collection of words strung together by the priest as he’d explained the sanctity of marriage, clouded by her own excitement.

 

And her irresistible attraction to the man she’d pledged herself to.

 

_ Oh, dear _ . Her cheeks flamed as the conclusion dawned on her.

 

She’d been so distracted by Ben’s appearance that she’d hardly paid attention to most of the ceremony.

 

“Oh no,” she moaned, completely mortified and wishing the mattress would swallow her whole.

 

Flashing her a concerned look, Ben rested his hands on top of hers, gently squeezing her fingers.

 

“It is all your fault,” she muttered as she lowered her eyes, intently focused on the motion of his thumb as he drew circles around her knuckles. “You are to blame for being so stupidly attractive and distracting.”

 

A good-hearted chuckle left his lips, and she would have smacked the smile off his face if she’d been able to muster the energy to move.

 

She sensed him as he placed a kiss to her temple in response, and her indignation abated, if only for a minute. With a fluttering heart, she looked up into his warm gaze.

 

There was no ridicule hidden beneath his brown eyes, of that she was certain. However, there was that same disarming gentleness he’d given her on the day he gifted her clothing for the first time. He’d chuckled just now, but it had been a gesture of love.

 

“I can’t apologize for that,” he said. “I never thought my appearance would have such an effect on you, sweet lass.”

 

Rey shook her head. “It does not matter now. We are married.”

 

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “Do you regret it?”

 

“No,” she said, her voice filled with conviction. 

Marrying him, Rey knew it was something she would never regret. The love and respect he’d shown her throughout their journey, as well as his incredible gentleness and passion, meant that she would be guaranteed a life of unbridled bliss.

 

A lifetime where loneliness would never plague her anymore.

 

“Are you scared?” he asked then, gazing at her with an intensity that made her wonder if he could read her thoughts.

 

Biting her lip, she shook her head. “I cannot deny that I come from nothing. I had nothing until a few days ago, and now I have so much,” her voice wobbled, thoughts of her change in status filling her mind with doubts. “I was nobody and now I am…”

 

“You were  _ never  _  a nobody,” he spoke, leaning forward until his lips brushed her forehead in a soothing kiss. “The people you served might have told you that, but they were fools.”

 

Pulling back, he cupped her cheeks with his palms, so large and warm her entire body seemed to awaken like a flower in spring. “And you aren’t a nobody to me.”

 

He kissed her lips then, soft and searching, seeking her permission to go further.

 

She granted it, giving him leave to explore and soothe her worries, to make her body sing. He did just that, each touch of his lips as delicate as a petal, as reverent as a man celebrating her for who she was.

 

A simple maid touched by fate. A willowy figure dancing in a field of flowers as the world watched in awe.

 

When it was over, Ben rested his forehead against hers. “I know you won’t believe me overnight, Rey,” he said. “But I hope that if I show you how much you mean to me every day, and if you see how much you already mean to the people who had cheered you on the day before, you will come to see your worth in time. You will come to see how wrong the people in your village were to underestimate you.”

 

His words filled her with a sense of hope and, emboldened, she bared herself to him. “I don’t know how to be a laird’s wife,” she confessed. “I don’t have the accomplishments, the education.”

 

“I didn’t know how to be a warrior either,” he responded, tucking an errant curl behind her left ear. “I suppose we all must start from the beginning.”

 

Placing a kiss on his cheek, Rey took in his words. She could…learn. Just as he’d taught her how to read and write her first letters only a day ago.

 

The memory made her heartbeat flutter pleasantly. “It might take a while, Ben.”

 

“We have all the time in the world.”

 

Smiling pleasantly at the words, she placed another kiss on his cheek, lips brushing against one of the beauty marks dotting his pale skin. “That we do.”

 

“Are you well now, sweet Rey?” he asked, his large palms once more blanketing her smaller hands in warmth.

 

Nodding she looked into his eyes, brown and glistening.

 

“Good,” he said, leaning back, straightening his spine, though his hands never left hers. “My mother is eager to meet you.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

In just a few minutes after meeting Lady Leia Organa-Solo, Rey concluded that her new mother in law was very much a woman of action.

 

Dressed in new clothes, a cream dress which she understood was a wedding gift from Lady Leia herself, Rey was prepared to enter the great hall of the sprawling stronghold she would now call home. The imposing structure, she found out from her husband - who had kindly escorted her through what had seemed like a never-ending hallway and two flights of stairs - was called Varykino, an ancient fortress which had withstood countless sieges in its long and bloody history.

 

Only in recent decades had it finally known true peace.

 

“She wants to see you alone,” Ben whispered in her ear when they arrived in front of a large red door, embellished with woodwork depicting swirling patterns and a sigil at the very center. He’d referred to the sigil as a starbird when she first glimpsed it in his chamber, on the headboard of the large bed she’d woken up in.

 

At the thought of Ben’s bedchamber, her cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink. Willing herself to relax, she cleared her throat.

 

Her husband turned to look at her, his gaze searching. “Are you unwell?” he asked, his fingers playing with the tips of her hair, styled in a simple braid he’d helped her with himself.

 

Biting her lip, Rey nodded. “I am not nervous about meeting your mother,” she told him, and she could glimpse from the way his eyebrows went up that she’d surprised him. “From what you spoke of her, I know that she and I will become good friends.”

 

The corners of his lips went up. “What are you nervous about then?”

 

“Last night…” she murmured, eyes darting across the width of his frame, scanning his broad shoulders and muscular arms. “We should have had a proper wedding night.”

 

His hand caressed her cheek briefly before tilting her chin up. “It is not your fault, if that is what you are implying. The reception you received yesterday would have been overwhelming for anyone. I was too enthusiastic about it all, but that is a weak excuse. I should have prepared you better.”

 

Wetting her lips, she glanced at his plump mouth before taking her hand in hers and kissing his fingers. “You prepared me in other ways, husband,” she said with a smile. “Ways that were certainly much more enjoyable.”

 

“We will consummate our union tonight, sweet Rey,” he assured her in that soft voice of his. “I promise.”

 

Nodding, she went on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his lips, her tongue darting out briefly to taste him until they parted for breath. Every time that happened was further confirmation that she would never tire of these small and precious moments, these little kisses which they gave to one another simply because they could.

 

“I will be in the courtyard,” he told her, his thumb caressing her jawline. “Sparring.”

 

“Spar long enough so I can see you, then,” came her reply. She’d never seen him fight the gruesome beast which had wrought fear in the hearts of people, and a part of her longed to see what she knew would be his darker and more ruthless side.

 

Soon he departed, but not before another series of lingering kisses which they’d interrupted only because it would be rude to keep Ben’s mother waiting for too long.

 

As she stepped inside the great hall, Rey adjusted her earasaid, neatening the tartan in a self-conscious gesture. 

 

The tapestries which adorned the walls depicted scenes of opulent feasts and hunting parties, proudly displayed alongside paintings of lords and ladies from what seemed like centuries past. As she gazed upon their faces, taking in the features of the mysterious figures, she could only surmise that they were portraits of Ben’s ancestors, the same members of the legacy he tried to live up to every day. Bare wooden tables and benches littered the grand chamber, and she imagined the many feasts that had taken place in this very room, under the watchful eyes of the figures who had made this stronghold what it now was.

 

At the other side of the long room, however, there was a dais upon which a long table stood, covered by a white cloth and platters filled to the brim with food. The sight would have normally sent Rey into an elated squeal, but the diminutive figure sitting down at the great table was enough to make her control this urge.

 

“Come closer, my child,” the woman spoke in a motherly voice.

 

With a nod, Rey obeyed her, slowly walking until she reached the dais. Crossing her arms behind her back, she took in Lady Leia’s appearance. Her greying hair was braided and pinned up, and she wore the family’s tartan as well, blue and proud over a dark grey dress. Her eyes were kind, and the resemblance they bore to her son’s was striking, setting Rey at ease.

 

“My lady,” she acknowledged the older woman, not quite knowing how to address her despite the pleasant aura she exuded. Her education, Rey knew, lacked such pleasantries.

 

“Have a seat next to me, dear,” she said in response, gesturing to a chair with a tall backrest, emblazoned with the songbird sigil. “And you may call me Leia. We are family now, after all.”

 

As she sat down, Rey could have almost wept. Still, she steadied herself, blinking away the tears which had gathered at the corners of her eyes.

 

If her mother in law noticed her distress, she did not voice it. Instead, she gave Rey a warm smile and with a delicate wave of her hand and beckoned her to cast an appraising eye at the food which had been set on the table. Grateful for the reprieve, Rey took in the wide selection of meals.

 

Two platters of cheese and dried meats were carefully arranged alongside loaves of black bread, and her stomach grumbled at the sight. Grabbing a slice of bread, she set out to place some cheese and meat on top, willing herself to take moderate bites as her cheeks burned.

 

“I did not know what you might like,” Leia said, “so I asked the cook to prepare a little bit of everything.”

 

As she ate, Rey studied the other foods: a large tart heavy with meat and cheese, smaller tartlets stuffed with chopped nuts and fruit, round oatcakes and sausages, boiled eggs and fish crisped in breadcrumbs on a bed of buttered carrots and salad.

 

“I’ve never seen so much food in my life,” Rey exclaimed, unable to hide her wonder and the lack of sustenance she’d endured for years.

 

Thankfully, Leia said nothing, opting instead to try one of the tartlets, taking small and delicate bites which Rey tried her very hardest to mimic.

 

“You need not disguise your appetite in my presence, Rey,” Leia said as she finished off the tartlet. With a smile, she took her plate and placed a few sausages and buttered carrots on it before grabbing a slice of bread.

 

Encouraged by her words, Rey helped herself to some fish and salad, as well as a boiled egg and a slice of the large tart. “We had a long journey, as you can imagine…Leia,” she spoke, a part of her still feeling the need to somehow defend her manners.

 

“There is no need to be self-conscious around me, my dear,” her mother in law replied. “I know that this life is not what you are used to, and I will not judge you for it.”

 

“You hardly know me,” Rey said as she took a bite of fish. “Aren’t you afraid that you might have reached a hasty conclusion?”

 

“I make it a habit to form my own opinions,” Leia replied with a smile, delicately pricking a slice of buttered carrot with her fork. “I rarely concern myself with the judgement of others.”

 

A soft chuckle escaped Rey’s lips. “Ben said as much,” she replied. “He spoke very fondly of you on our way here. He told me how you brought him up.”

 

“You were brought up differently from what I understand,” Leia mused, but her voice betrayed no judgement.

 

For that, Rey was grateful, and Leia’s searching gaze only seemed to set her more at ease. Just a few minutes ago, she had confidently told Ben that she saw a potential for friendship between his mother and her. And now, as she sat in the great hall of a keep that only fairytales could have fashioned, eating a meal with someone who showed kindness instead of judgement and cruelty, she became more and more certain that her instinct had been correct.

 

“I assume Ben must have spoken to you about me,” Rey said, knowing full well she’d been asleep for hours. Curiosity prickled at her mind, and she yearned to know just what had happened in those crucial moments.

 

“You cannot blame a mother for being curious about her only son’s choice of bride,” the older woman responded, the corners of her eyes crinkling in amusement.

 

“I would do the same,” Rey admitted with a nod.

 

It was, she knew well, the complete truth. As she uttered those words, Rey imagined herself for a brief moment surrounded by her children, Ben lovingly standing by her side. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she would care about the path they had chosen, that she would give them the love and guidance she  lacked her entire life.

 

“When Ben first told me, that he wanted to slay that terrible beast in your village, I had no doubt he would succeed,” Leia told her. “I know the kind of man I raised.”

 

Setting her fork down, Leia turned around to look at Rey, her wise eyes boring into her own gaze. “But, when I heard he was on his way here with a bride, I could scarcely believe it. I’d heard of the reward, of course, but I knew Ben never wanted it. Other men might have rejoiced at the prospect of claiming a woman as a prize.”

 

She took a deep breath, one that Rey could see betrayed an evident sense of pride. “But not my son. Not my Ben. I raised him to be different.”

 

Picking up another tartlet, Leia bit into it with satisfaction. “That was when I knew  _ something _ must have happened,” she said once she’d finished chewing. “My son must have fallen in love.”

 

The apples of Rey’s cheeks bloomed pink. “In truth, I came to him first,” she admitted, the memory of the token she’d given him forever engraved in her mind.

 

Leia gave her a wide smile. “No wonder he fell in love with you then.”

 

“I did not know who he was, or what he could do.” As the moment replayed itself in her head, the corners of her mouth curled up as well. “I just knew that I believed in him, and that I wanted him to live.”

 

“It is a relief to be unknown sometimes,” Leia mused. “To not be judged for who you are and where you come from. I imagine you know that better than anyone, my dear.”

 

Moved by the words, Rey set her fork down, letting her hand rest gently on the table. “Nothing could have prepared me for this,” she admitted, gesturing at their opulent surroundings. “I never sought it or prepared for such a possibility.”

 

“I know.” Resting her hand on top of Rey’s, Leia continued with a reassuring smile. “You are the mistress of this keep now, Rey. It is yours to run as you see fit. The lands surrounding this stronghold and the people who live in it are yours to care for and guide.”

 

The weight of responsibility descended on her shoulders then, as heavy as a mountain, its scope almost impossible to measure. 

 

“There is much for you to learn, I know, and you are starting a bit later than I did, or my mother before me,” Leia continued, “But it is not an impossible task.”

 

“That is what Ben told me,” she admitted, soothed by the gentle encouragement. “Your words make me believe in it even more.”

 

Just as Ben had learned to be a laird and a fearless warrior, she could learn how to be a lady and the protector of those who depended on her for their survival.

 

“Indeed, it is never too late to learn,” Leia mused with a nod. “I taught my son before, and now I can teach you. It would be my honor to do so.”

 

Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes, but they were tears of joy. “I need a teacher,” Rey said, letting the first drop fall freely down her cheek. “Perhaps several.”

 

In response, Leia pulled her into a warm embrace. “We have everything we need.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

When the courtyard finally came into view, several hours had already passed. Consequently, Rey had found herself sharing the second meal of the day with her mother in law, immersed in the intricacies of running a stronghold the size of Varykino and the sprawling fields surrounding its impenetrable walls. In between breakfast and lunch, she had toured most of the fortress with Leia, who had spent a considerable time showing off each chamber and introducing Rey to the staff – men and women who appeared, much to Rey’s astonished gaze, delighted with the new lady of the castle.

 

Then, once they concluded their second meal – a delectable affair of leek soup, pigeon pie, crusted trout and honeyed tarts – Leia retired to her chambers to rest, giving Rey enough time to explore the rest of her new home and search for her husband.

 

As Rey climbed the narrow stone steps leading up to the battlements, her heart pounded in her chest with anticipation and renewed purpose. The former was, of course, the result of her impending reunion with Ben.

 

The latter, however, came gradually, as the events of the day sunk in.

 

A pleasant spring breeze caressed her face as soon as she reached the top and, for a brief moment, she closed her eyes and took in refreshing chill mixed with the warmth of the sun rays.     

 

Standing on the battlements, Rey then turned around to look at the view outside the castle walls, gripping the stone edge of the parapet. The settlement outside the fortress was larger than she remembered upon her arrival, too anxious and stunned at the time to focus on anything other than the welcoming smiles and cheers which had greeted her. But now, standing from above, she observed the stone houses and fenced in gardens clearly, she scanned the wide road Ben and her had ridden on the day before and how smaller paths seemed to spring from it to lead to other clusters of houses with roaring chimneys. Outside the four walls, children played in the grass as their families watched and worked – doing household chores or tending to the animals.

 

Then, when she looked beyond the settlement, Rey glimpsed verdant fields and clusters of trees – with deep blue lochs flanked here and there by smaller settlements – followed by a thin, winding river which pierced the ragged coastline and spilled itself into a large mass of water that could only be the sea.

 

Gripping the castle’s walls, her heart fluttered in her chest wildly as realization finally took hold.

 

She was mistress of  _ all _ this. And the people she had met today and seen the day before would look to  _ her _ for guidance.

 

The corners of her lips lifted up in a smile.

 

She was wanted.  _ Needed _ .

 

And not only by the man she’d pledged her heart to, but also by the people who had pledged to serve him and called him laird.

 

They were  _ her  _ people too. Hers to protect as much as Ben’s.

 

Turning around, Rey looked down at the inner courtyard below and her breath hitched.

 

Ben was there, just as he said he would be.

 

 

~*~

 

 

She left the battlements and climbed down the stone steps as quickly as she could, and, using her newfound knowledge of the castle’s interiors, Rey traversed the winding passageways with a clear goal in mind, greeting each passing chambermaid as she went. An inner balcony was not hard to find and, soon enough, she reached the main one, with stone railing and stairs that went down all the way to the courtyard.

 

Leaning forward on the balcony’s rail, Rey watched as her husband sparred.

 

Ben was taking on three burly men at once, blunt swords drawn in fierce practice. To the side, a group of young lads watched with mouths wide open, holding their own shields and weapons – some to their chest, others swinging their own swords in weak imitation.

 

Lips quirked, Rey admired her husband’s movements as heat pooled between her legs. Her calm exterior did not betray the furious pounding in her chest as she watched Ben swing and slash with ruthless precision, blocking each parry and taking advantage of every opponent’s weak point with no hesitation.  He was, she could plainly see, merciless and unyielding in practice, and she could only imagine the sheer raw power Ben was capable of displaying in the real field of battle.

 

Yet, beyond that ruthlessness, lay a mesmerizing gracefulness that was intoxicating. He fought with his entire body, and if she had not known him as well as she had on their journey, she would not have been able to glimpse the intent behind each swing – the desire to prove himself to those who doubted him, the anger he channeled into defeating opponents instead of allowing it to consume him.

 

One by one, the three men fell to the ground until he claimed victory, standing tall in the courtyard as if he knew there was no other way this practice could have gone, his right hand gripping the blunt sword’s handle and his left fist clenched. Even from this distance, if she focused strong enough, Rey was certain she could hear him panting.

 

Then, after a few moments, he unclenched his fists and helped his opponents to their feet, patting them on the back in encouragement.

 

A warm smile spread across Rey’s face as she watched Ben approach the young lads with a relaxed demeanor, arranging them in pairs as if he were the master at arms instead of the ruler of them all.

 

When he finally turned around, he saw her. Returning her smile, he turned around to speak to the men he had just bested in combat, giving them his weapon and gesturing at the lads who were now sparring. With a nod, he left them to their duties and went up the stone steps, climbing them two at a time before he reached her.

 

“Sweet Rey,” he acknowledged, pulling her body flush against his as his hands roamed her back.

 

Dipping his head, he kissed her on the lips, and she gasped when her lower belly came into contact with the hard length of his arousal. “Ben,” she gasped against his mouth, failing to stifle a laugh.

 

“It’s what seeing you does to me, my love,” he murmured before placing another kiss on the tip of her nose. “How has your day been?” he asked, stroking her cheek. “I knew my mother would try to hold onto you for as long as possible.”

 

He gave her a smile, and she reciprocated. “I have a great deal to learn from her, you know,” she said, letting her hands rest on his broad shoulders. “I told you that her and I would be good friends, and, naturally, I was right.”

 

She gave him a summary of the events, blushing as she recounted her awe upon gazing at his lands from the battlements.

 

“You deserve it,” he told her, placing another kiss on the tip of her nose. “Everything I have is yours, sweet Rey.”

 

“I don’t have much to give you in return,” she mused, stroking his shoulders. “I suppose you will have to make do with me.”

 

He chuckled at that, letting his palms wander until he cupped her cheeks. “I can’t think of anything more valuable than that.”

 

Leaning into him, she rested her cheek on his chest, listening to the loud pounding of his heartbeat. “Where is your master at arms?”

 

“Resting for a few hours,” he replied, wrapping his arms around her waist. “My people haven’t seen me in a while. A laird is never absent for too long.”

 

She looked up into his eyes. “Did Leia teach you that?”

 

Shaking his head, he held her gaze. “Some things I learned from observation,” he replied, a wistful look settling in his brown orbs. “These lands belonged to my uncle once, but he was never around to care for them or the people. He would go on long pilgrimages that lasted months, never writing to the family who waited for him at home. Sometimes, he would be missing for years before we heard if he’d survived whatever voyage he’d gone on.”

 

He took a deep breath, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “There is nothing wrong with travel, of course, but the two lives he led were not compatible with one another, so the land fell into decline. When he perished, our name would have died with him, had it not been for my mother’s leadership, and my father’s loyalty to the king on every battlefield. The lands stayed with our family, and the Skywalker name lived on in some fashion.”

 

“The same name and legacy that weighs heavily on your shoulders,” she pondered, absorbing each detail of his confession.

 

“It is my burden,” he admitted with a firm voice. “And my greatest honor.”

 

Taking a deep breath, she replayed every conversation they had had about his family in her mind. “You are doing this to honor your mother’s work.”

 

Ben nodded, the breeze ruffling his dark hair. “I do it for her, and I do it for all the other people who depend on me to protect them. To provide for them.”

 

“This burden is yours, and now it is also mine,” she said, recalling the emotions which had swept over her when she’d stood on the battlement. “It will be my honor to share it with you.”

 

“Sweet, darling, Rey,” he murmured, claiming her lips in a searing kiss. “What did I ever do to deserve such a treasure?”

 

Smiling against his lips, she pulled away. “You killed the beast that terrorized my village, of course,” she said. “Did you forget?”

 

Her hands reached out to toy with the tips of his hair. “And tonight, sweet husband, you shall claim your reward,” she whispered, her lips brushing against his.

 

“You are mistaken, my love,” he replied, grazing her lower lip with his teeth. “Tonight,  _ you  _ shall claim me.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

When he finally stepped inside their bedchamber, she was bathing.

 

Just two hours ago, Rey had dined with his mother once more – feasting on mutton broth, stewed rabbit and vegetables, and several lemon tartlets – retiring early with the single-minded intent to wait for him in bed, bathed and clothed in her chemise, her heart fluttering with anticipation.

 

However, as she sat down in the large tub which the maids had brought up to the chamber earlier, taking Ben’s heavy breathing and intense gaze, it seemed her husband shared the same ideas.

 

Sinking into the water until it brushed against her chin, she spoke with a low voice, “you’re early.”

 

He gave her a confused look as he stepped inside the room, removing his boots and tunic and discarding them on the floor with haste. The tips of his hair were wet, and she imagined he must have bathed in the loch, or had a bath drawn for him elsewhere.

 

As he closed the door, she watched his strong muscles ripple in the candlelight. “I suppose I am very eager to be with my wife,” he said with a smile, padding in her direction until he kneeled next to the tub.

 

“You could have claimed her on your journey here,” she pointed out, pressing her back against the tub. “She was certainly eager.”

 

“My wife deserves a comfortable bed on her wedding night.” His hand reached out to tuck an errant curl behind her ear. “Not a rushed coupling on the forest floor while my horse stands watch.”

 

She couldn’t suppress the chuckle that left her lips as the image materialized itself in her mind. “I suppose you have a point.”

 

Letting his chin rest on the edge of the tub, he gave her a pleading look. “Let me bathe you.”

 

Her breath hitched, and she could sense the blood in her veins go cold. “I can manage.”

 

He gave her a confused look. “Is something wrong?”

 

“Y-you don’t  _ need _ to see me on our wedding night, Ben,” she stammered, lowering her body in the tub until her nape rested against the edge.

 

“Why not?” Ben asked, his voice calm yet puzzled. “You know I think you’re beautiful, Rey.”

 

She sighed deeply. If he had arrived five minutes later, she would not find herself in this predicament. “I know.”

 

That was not a lie. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt that her husband found her attractive. However, that did not mean that he was ready to see her as she really was. In the darkness of the forest, where he’d prepared her to accommodate his manhood, stretching her until she was delirious with pleasure, Rey had been able to mask her true self.

 

But now, in the comfort of his bedchamber and the warm glow of candlelight, sitting in a bathtub instead of covered head to foot in her husband’s bed, there was no place to hide.

 

His brown eyes betrayed nothing but kindness, but at the same time, he gazed upon her with evident curiosity. His eyes travelled across her face, looking as if he was attempting to put all the pieces together until, suddenly, his lips parted and his eyebrows went up.

 

“You are scarred,” he said, lifting his chin from the edge of the tub.

 

The three words, so simple, straightforward and shocking brought tears to her eyes. Unable to contain her reaction, she simply nodded.

 

“Your back…” he continued, his hand gripping the tub as his back straightened.

 

She nodded again.

 

His gaze darkened. “Let me see,” he said and, though his voice was soft, his eyes showed the steely determination she’d glimpsed earlier today in the courtyard.

 

She knew what that gaze meant.

 

“There is nothing you can do about it now,” she said as she lifted her head. “The past cannot be changed.”

 

“Let me see you, Rey,” he insisted still, though his voice betrayed no impatience. Knowing Ben as she did now, she believed he’d be willing to sit by the tub the entire night if it meant consoling her in any way.

 

Still, she sighed and bent her legs, arms moving forward to cradle them, knees peeking out from under the water’s surface. Then, bending over, she rested her cheek on both knees…and waited.

 

His hand was gentle as he caressed her back, fingers skimming over the ridges. “Who did this to you?” he asked, his voice gruff.

 

“The people I worked for.”

 

“And I saved them…”

 

Her lips curled up in a smile. “You saved many people that day, Ben. Innocents who owe their lives to you.” She closed her eyes, his touch against her marred skin a soothing balm. “Are all the people in your land kind and peaceful?”

 

“They hurt you, Rey,” he protested, and she could feel his fingers tremble as they brushed against her shoulder blades. “I’ll kill them myself.”

 

She straightened her back then, turning around to face him. “You will do no such thing,” she said as she cupped his face, tilting his chin up until he locked eyes with her. “They will be punished for their deeds eventually. I believe that.”

 

“Rey–”

 

“I buried my past when I left with you,” she continued. “My life is here now.” Leaning forward, she kissed his lips. “As is yours. You belong with me, Ben Solo. You will stay here and grow old by my side, not wander the countryside in search of revenge. Killing them won’t erase what happened, but loving me will certainly make me happier.”

 

“Sweet, sweet, Rey,” he chanted, wrapping his arms around her, capturing her lips in a hungry kiss. “You are too good, too kind –”

 

“Shut up,” she said, pressing a finger against his lips. “I know. Now come and make love to me.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

He scooped her into his arms with ease, drying her flushed skin before lowering her down on the bed.

 

Resting on her elbows, Rey watched as Ben removed his kilt, his arousal jutting out, large and proud and ready for her. In response, she parted her legs, moisture already pooling at the apex of her thighs. As if by reflex, her hand slipped between her legs, and she touched herself, circling her entrance with one finger before she slipped it inside with ease.

 

“That’s it,” Ben said, his voice deep. “Show me how you pleasure yourself, my love.”

 

She did just that, slipping her finger in and out, spreading slick across her core, repeating the motions she’d learned she liked on their journey. The sight of her husband watching her, combined with the adoration she glimpsed in his eyes, only enhanced her pleasure, and soon enough, she came with a gasp, her vision blurring as she rested her head on one of the pillows, eyelids closed.

 

“You are so perfect,” he spoke, and she could sense his pride even if she couldn’t see him.

 

Her lips quirked in response, and a new wave of heat gathered once more between her legs. Core throbbing, she rubbed her thighs together.

 

“I want you,” she exclaimed, her voice a shameless whine. “I’ve waited long enough.”

 

She heard him move around the room, so she opened her eyes, eager to see how he would respond. Eager to catch another glimpse of his well-endowed member.

 

Her mouth watered at the thought of how well he would fit inside her snug entrance, eager to give him the release she knew he craved. With bated breath, she anticipated pleasuring him once more, just as she’d done on the evening she found him at the edge of the loch, taking himself in hand.

 

He stroked himself before he joined her on the bed, taking his time as if he knew just how impatient she truly was for him.

 

“Stop teasing me,” she whined, stretching like a lazy feline, rubbing her thighs together once more. Her core was throbbing, the need to be filled overpowering all her senses.

 

Wish a soft laugh, he obeyed her, laying down beside her, a large palm resting on her hip as the mattress dipped under their combined weight. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss on her lips, moving at a languid pace. She responded, letting his tongue slip inside her mouth, tasting him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

 

When they parted for breath, his smile was so gentle it stunned her to the core. He’d always given her soft looks, but this one was different. Beneath the gentleness she knew so well there was something else – a strange feeling of determination that she could not account for.

 

“Turn around, my love,” he murmured, drawing circles with his thumb on her flesh.

 

_ Oh _ . Her eyes widened, the conversation they’d had just moments ago still fresh in her mind. He’d seen her as she truly was, and now he wanted  _ more _ .

 

Biting her lip, she obeyed, wondering if this was how he wanted to claim her. Her heart still fluttered with anticipation though, and a spark of joy that her husband had seen her scars and had not been discouraged by their existence.

 

How could she even doubt him in the first place?

 

Resting her right cheek on the pillow, she wiggled her hips.

 

“Not now, sweet Rey,” he said, palms settling on her behind, fingers digging softly into her skin to keep her in place.

 

She sensed as he hovered above her, his lips only a breath away from her ear. “I will take you like this another time, my love, if that is what you want. But, tonight, I want to look upon your face while you unravel.”

 

She bit her lower lip. “Then, what are you going to do now?”

 

Pulling away, Ben’s hands journeyed across her back, the tips of his fingers caressing her marred flesh. “This.”

 

He bent down and kissed one of the scars.

 

Her breath hitched, and a tear rolled down her cheek. “Ben,” she whispered, her voice shaking in the candlelight.

 

Nothing could have prepared her for this, for his tenderness to be so disarming, for his regard to touch the deepest corners of her soul. She knew he loved her, but every time he seemed to find a new way to show her just how  _ deep  _ his feelings ran.

 

He brushed the tear away with his thumb. “Don’t cry, my love.” 

 

“I love you, Ben,” she whispered as he kissed the second scar. “So, so much.”

 

“I love you too,” he responded in between another kiss, his lips soft and plump against her skin. “Never doubt it.”

 

He kissed every inch of her back, no cut and lash left untouched, worshipping her as if she were a goddess. Her tears streamed freely down her cheeks, moisture seeping into the pillow, but she did not sob. They were, Rey knew well, tears of joy, and she told Ben as much whenever he paused his gentle ministrations to ask how she was doing, his concern evident in the soothing manner he would brush his palm across her shoulder blades.

 

When it was over, he held her in his arms, her head tucked neatly under his chin as she hooked a leg over his hip, pulling his hard length against her. They stood like this for a while, in a comfortable silence pierced only by the sound of the roaring fire, and the steady rhythm of her husband’s heartbeat beneath her ear.

 

When she felt ready to continue, she looked up, her eyes boring into his gentle gaze. Her lips curled up, and her hand went up to brush one of his wavy locks away from his face so she could kiss his temple.

 

“I’m going to make love to you now, sweet Rey,” he said, voice etched with emotion, brown eyes glistening. “But only if you’ll have me?”

 

As she kissed the tip of his nose, she slipped one hand between their bodies, stroking his aroused member. “I’ll have you, sweet husband. Never doubt it.”

 

He was on top of her in an instant, kissing her jawline as his eager hands parted her thighs to accommodate his broad frame. She moaned in anticipation, just as his lips travelled lower and settled on the valley of her breasts, peppering her skin with kisses. One of his palms wandered upwards, its progress unimpeded until he reached one of her breasts and grazed a pebbled nipple with his thumb.

 

Arching her back, Rey cried out in encouragement, too overwhelmed by the sensation to form a coherent sentence. Instead, she guided him with her body, tilting her body so he could claim her breast with his mouth.

 

Ben did just that, licking and teasing each peak, until she was thrashing beneath him, her moans echoing across the candlelit chamber. All the while, he slipped one hand between their bodies, fingers stroking the thatch of curls between her legs until he parted her folds, running a finger across the slit.

 

“Please,” she murmured, her voice trembling, eyelids fluttering closed as she surrendered herself to the pleasurable sensations Ben could elicit with just the touch of a finger.

 

Soon enough, he slipped the digit inside her opening, moving it until he found the spot that made her toes curl. Her hips moved forward, desperate for more, and, after a few strokes he obeyed her, inserting a second finger, stretching her tight entrance anew.

 

Pulling his upper body away from her breasts, he moved lower, trailing wet kisses down her stomach and across her belly button until he nuzzled her mound, pressing a kiss just above her snug entrance, tongue darting out to taste her.

 

“Ben,” she moaned, eyes fluttering open, hips bucking in search of more.

 

His free hand settled on her hip, steadying her body. “Shh,” he whispered against her core, his breath making her opening flutter against his fingers, pushing them deeper inside her warmth. “I’ll take good care of you, Rey.”

 

Looking up, his eyes met hers, brown and hazel orbs equally dazed. He bore the look of a man drunk with pleasure, as if her enjoyment of the act contributed to his own gratification. And, as his mouth latched onto her center, tongue lapping at the aroused flesh and the slick which had gathered there, she realized this very much was the case. The thought sent a thrill through Rey’s spine, and her pleasure intensified, moans growing in frequency as his thrusts deepened and his mouth feasted on her like a banquet.

 

Her release was shattering, and a gush of her arousal covered his fingers when he withdrew them.  However, his tongue still stayed on her, lapping at her essence as he brought her safely back to shore.

 

When he was done, he placed one final kiss against her opening, a touch so reverent she cried out, muscles clenching.

 

“Sweet, sweet, Rey,” he murmured, brushing his lips against her inner thigh, nuzzling the heated flesh with his nose.

 

She smiled, the endearment taking on a whole new meaning now that he showed almost no inclination to settle anywhere but between her legs. Still, she was very much eager to welcome a different kind of stretch, despite how much she enjoyed his tongue and fingers.

 

Sinking her fingers in his inky hair, she tilted his chin up. “You promised I would claim you tonight, sweet husband,” she said, watching as the corners of his eyes crinkled with amusement.

 

With a chuckle, Ben placed one final kiss against her core and pulled himself up until he settled beside her, his back against the linen sheets.

 

“I did, didn’t I?” he mused after a brief moment, shifting to the side just enough to place his palms on her hips, his fingertips sinking softly into her flesh.

 

Then, with a quick movement, he lifted her up until she was on top, legs straddling his hips.

 

“Ben,” she shrieked, stunned by the gesture.

 

When he’d entered her bedchamber, she had not anticipated ending up in this position. But, as she splayed her fingers across his broad chest, the tip of his arousal just brushing against her entrance, she realized she didn’t mind it at all.

 

In fact, she relished the possibility of riding her husband like a prized stallion, eyes locked with his as she claimed him.

 

His large palms resting on her hips were gentle, fingers long enough to massage her behind, which he did, naturally, kneading her flesh before rubbing the head of his arousal against her wet core.

 

“Take me in your hand,” he instructed in a low voice. “Don’t be afraid.”

 

She could only smile at that. “What makes you think I’m frightened?” she retorted, stroking his member with her fingertips.

 

Her hand was much too small to fully wrap itself around his hard length, her delicate fingers unable to brush against each other, but nonetheless, Rey managed to line him up against her opening, watching in fascination as the tip of the head oozed with its own slick.

 

Following his instructions, she lowered herself on him, a gasp leaving Rey’s lips as her opening stretched to accommodate his girth. The stretch was shocking, and, despite knowing she hadn’t managed to fit his entire length inside her, she felt full. As if sensing her initial discomfort, his right hand went up to stroke her core, teasing her folds with his thumb. She cried out in response, and moisture pooled anew between her legs, easing her progress somewhat.

 

Closing her eyes, Rey took in the new sensations which took hold of her, the burning stretch and the curious desire to push the limit of what she could withstand.

 

“Rey,” she heard her husband call her name in between the hazy thoughts swirling through her mind, and her eyelids fluttered enough to glimpse his concerned expression, one hand gripping her hip as if to halt her movement.

 

“Don’t be afraid, sweet husband,” she whispered with a strangled moan, the burn giving way to a curious pleasure, her opening fluttering around his length, keen for more. “You feel so good.”

 

He rewarded her with a groan, and she could feel his member twitch inside her in clear agreement. Emboldened, she continued to lower herself on him, encouraging him to stroke her with his clever hand and fingers. Much to her enjoyment, Ben did just that, building her pleasure up at a steady pace until, with one final effort, she buried his length inside her to the hilt.

 

When he was fully sheathed inside they both groaned, her eager muscles milking him already. They stood like this for a few moments, eyes locked and breathing labored as Rey  grew accustomed to the novel experience. It did not take long for that to happen, and, flashing Ben a quick smile, she nodded her consent, giving him leave to teach her further.

 

His hands gripped her hips in response, and he showed her how to move, pausing to ask her which sensation was most pleasurable to her. Raking her fingernails across his chest, Rey threw her head back, sliding up and down his hard length at a languid pace, whispering her own instructions on how she liked to be touched.

 

“Yes,” she moaned when his thumb pressed against the nub at the top of her slit. “Right there. Please, please.”

 

He stroked the hard nub and she almost screamed, a shiver coursing through her spine as she clenched her thighs against his hips. Her own moans mixed with his, and, having learned how to pleasure her husband on their long journey across the country, she knew he was close to peaking as well. Her movements increased in speed, a gradual buildup that could only end one way.

 

“Look at me, sweet Ben,” she whispered, hazel eyes finding his brown orbs, wide and wild with arousal.

 

The endearment must have done something to her husband, for he came with a shout, his own release triggering hers in response. He spilled his seed inside her warmth, and her snug entrance milked it gladly, fluttering against his length. Then, with a deep sigh, she collapsed against his chest, peppering his taut muscles with kisses as he shuddered and wrapped his arms around her.

 

They remained in this position until his member softened inside her and slipped out, her stretched opening overflowing with his seed. As she rested her cheek on Ben’s chest, lulled by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, she allowed him to settle her sated body beside him, kissing the crown of her head as he tucked her neatly under his chin.

 

As she lay in the massive bed in her husband’s arms, Rey looked up, smiling as she watched him blink away an errant tear.

 

“Tears of joy?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.

 

Still, he nodded, the corners of his mouth curling up in a smile. “Tears of joy.”

 

Content, she tilted her chin up and kissed him, grazing his plump lower lip with her teeth. “I love you, sweet Ben,” she whispered, a wide smile etched on her face as she gazed into the eyes of the man who had given her a home.

 

He dipped his head in response, giving her a kiss that matched. “And I love you. Sweet Rey.”

 

 

FIN

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now our story ends! I have another historical AU coming soon, so if you want to check it out when it's released, you can subscribe to my profile here or follow me on tumblr (@bunilicious) or twitter (@bunilicious1). I'm aiming to have the first chapter out by the end of this month. *fingers crossed*
> 
> If you enjoyed this final chapter of 'Sweet Rey' and the story as a whole, please don't hesitate to leave comments and kudos. Thank you so much for sticking around on this long journey. It means a lot. <3

**Author's Note:**

> Please do not hesitate to leave comments and kudos if you liked this chapter! They really encourage me to keep writing. You can find me on tumblr @bunilicious and on twitter @bunilicious1


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